The Power of Pink
by balletbaby
Summary: What if the Power Rangers weren't 'just a tv show? Molly Castor finds the meeting point of perception and fate. Reality ain't all it's cracked up to be. Rated M for violence and language in last chapter!
1. Chapter 1

She got the feeling that someone was staring at her. She ignored it and continued to write out her budget. As if writing it out would somehow make her monthly expenses add up to less, add up to an amount closer to what she actually made each month. She bit her lip and kept plugging in the numbers, writing down what they were for and calculating. Again, she felt like she was being watched. She glanced down at her final total, sighed in frustrated despair, then flung away her notebook and pen.

"Screw this!" She announced to the empty room. Then she looked up.

No, not empty. There was a girl standing in the corner, not much older looking than herself. Someone wearing a hell of a lot of pink.

Her first instinct was to scream, or grab for a gun or some other object. But as she stared at the figure, who was not advancing towards her or in any other way seeming to be threatening (other than somehow appearing un- admitted into another person's apartment), she recognized her. Or thought she did. She stared at the woman trying to think of where she knew her from.

Molly Castor's mouth dropped open in shock, while her eyes widened in hopeful awe.

"Kimberly?" She whispered. It couldn't be. But suddenly at that moment, she prayed that it was possible.

The young woman grinned somewhat shyly. "Hi," she answered.


	2. Chapter 2

"I can't believe this!"

"But you want to." The woman in pink insisted.

Molly shook her head. "I can't!"

"Why not?"

"Because, it means I'm nuts!"

Molly shook her head hard and walked from her bedroom into the living room. I must be dreaming, she thought. Working too hard… or something. When she reached the middle of the room, she stopped, put both hands to her temples closed her eyes tight and focused on reality. In a moment she slowly exhaled, opened her eyes and looked around the room. It was empty.

"Thank God," she sighed. She looked around the room once more just to be certain, then laughed aloud. "I thought I was going nuts!"

"No, you're not!" A perky voice answered.

Molly screamed and turned around. The woman in pink was back. Standing in front of her now.

"I like how you decorated your room."

Molly stared. "Oh my God. Oh my god," she moaned. "I am nuts! I'm losing my mind!" She threw a hand over her eyes.

"No," the voice laughed again, "you're not! Besides crazy people don't worry about their sanity- they don't even think they're crazy."

Molly was near hyperventilating, and just stared at…. Kimberly? She watched her, or, the sign of her insanity walk around the living room appraising items.

"If you ask me, you were nuttier before," she added with a smug smile.

Molly sighed in exasperation.

"Great. Even my subconcious now concious manifestation of sheer insanity thinks I'm nuts!"

Kim shook her head. "No, I said you were nuttier before."

"And did you know me before?" SHe asked defensive, afraid.

"N-o," she answered. "But, we've sort of been monitoring you."

Molly nearly choked. "What?" Her voice was high, incredulous.

"Well….anyway," she steered away from the subject, You were nuttier before."

"What makes you think that?"

"What sane person stays in a situation that could possibly kill them?"

Molly shrugged her shoulders and had to admit defeat on that one. "True," she admitted.

"And that's why I'm here. To steer you in the right path- er, keep you on it," she corrected.

"And how do you plan on doing that?"

"Ya know, you can't like, keep me away from you by acting that way. I'm sticking with you-no matter what."

"Oh joy."

"Don't you wanna know the answer?"

"The answer to what?"

"To your question!" She laughed.

"Oh." She pursed her lips as she felt her face redden in embarassment at her oversight. "Yeah," Molly finished.

"I plan on doing that, being able to do that, because A. you need me, and B. You and I are a lot a like. And finally C. Because Power Rangers always help people who need them or are in trouble."

"No, I think that's Superman. And you all save the world, or Angel Grove, you don't go and help random people- unless they get attacked by putties or something."

Kim laughed loudly. "Where did you get that from?"

"HEllo, your TV show?"

Kimberly kept laughing, walked to the kitchen and called out, "So, you got any food in here?"

She just stared agape as a Power Ranger raided her fridge.

"Besides," she answered Molly's statement, "that show only showed part of our lives, that's why it's called a show."

" No, I seriously think there are other reasons it was called a show. And, Power Rangers don't raid fridges," she muttered.

"What was that?" Kim popped her head up above the door with a bottle of orange juice in one hand.

She repeated herself and Kim laughed again.

"I suppose the next thing you'll say is that figments of your imagination don't raid fridges either."

"So… she put the juice down on the counter and spun towards the girl, "that should lead you to believe-" she took slow careful steps forward continuing, "that- I- am-not- a-

She jumped forward to the girl and pinched her on the arm with a laugh then spun around then posed with her hands in the air,

"Figment of your imagination!" She finished saying the words quickly.

"Kimberly Hart, Pink Ranger of the Power Rangers, at your service!" She stuck her hand out, introducing herself finally. "You have a dream I admire, skills and strengths that the group appreciates, and are in danger enough for Zordon to pay attention. And I am not leaving until you're back on your feet, have reached your dream, and the odds of you going back to your former life are zero."

"You might as well accept it. For the time being at least, I am here to stay. Besides, I really want to help out the people that had me as a favorite. And you don't want to admit it, I know, but I do know I was your favorite, and I know why. I know all those times you tried to do gymnastics, even though your parents wouldn't let you take real classes. I know how badly you wanted to though, and I know you felt silly and would be embarassed if anyone knew that a Power Ranger was your inspiration behind all that. That's why I'm here. Because your dream and your life in a lot of ways, is so similar to mine. Believe me,we don't mess up. If Trini was your favorite, I wouldn't have shown up- she would. Or Zach, or Jason. Or Tommy." She grinned slyly and laughed. "And I know he was sort of one of your favorites. You liked him."

Molly's mouth fell open and her face felt hot. But all the could do was... stare at Kimberly Hart. This really is real. Holy shit. And somewhere deep inside of her, Molly's inner child screamed with joy.


	3. Chapter 3

Molly opened her eyes to a glaring light. Her brow wrinkled in confusion, as she tried to think of what-

"Tommy?" She whispered. She shielded her eyes and saw midmorning light coming through her window. With a gasp of fear she looked wildly around the room for Kim.

She sighed in disappointment, then laughed at her own disappointment. "It was just a dream," But what a cool dream. Molly laughed again. "What a dork!" She chided herself.

The jarring sound of the phone shook Molly from her dreamy thoughts. Quickly she jumped up from bed, tangled her feet in the sheets and fell to the floor with a crash. Not having the time to be upset, she struggled to her feet, kicked her bed sheets away and continued to run for the living room. I knew I should've hooked the phone up in here," she muttered.

"Hi, this is Molly Castor, sorry I'm not here to answer your call-"

"No, I'm here! I'm here!" She insisted, lunging for the handset. She grabbed it, pulled it to her ear and pressed talk. "Hello?" She answered.

"Hello?"

The dial tone was the only sound that greeted her on the other end.

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "I got out of bed for that?" She threw the phone down on the couch and headed back to her room. "Thank god it's my day off. I'm going back to bed."

"Hey! Watch it!"

Molly froze in terror. "Who's here?" She demanded, her eyes wide, scanning the room, her hands turning to fists and her knees bending. But the room was empty.

Suddenly the phone jumped up from the couch.

Molly watched it rise and begin to fall, feeling like she might faint. I didn't know poltergeists could talk.

"It's me!" Kimberly Hart's head rose from the cushions. "Watch where you throw that thing. I was trying to catch a couple of Zs."

Molly stared her mouth hanging open.

"This is insane," she whispered staring.

Kimberly rolled her eyes. "Hello, we went over that last night, remember?"

Molly sighed and bit her lip. "This can't be real. I'm asleep. I must be. I mean, I dreamed that I saw you, then I woke up and nearly killed myself trying to get to the phone, and now I see you again." Oh! I get it! I knocked myself out when I fell out of bed. This is all just some subconscious stuff.

"Try again."

Molly shook her head hard. I'm awake. I know I'm awake!"

"So what's the problem?"

She looked at the woman earnestly and sighed again. "This can't be real."

Kim just stared at her silently.

"Can it?" She whispered, finally.

"Are you really real?"

Kim pushed her hair back carelessly, then held out her arm. "Touch me," she offered. "I'm as real as you are."

Hesitantly, scared to death if she was being honest, Molly approached the person on the couch. The person, the apparition that looked exactly like Kimberly from the Power Rangers.

Carefully she extended her hand, then a finger toward her. When her finger met with spongy warm tissue, she grabbed Kim's hand quickly, frantically to double check, then released the hand, and backed away while drawing her own hand up to cover her mouth. She stared wide-eyed. "Oh my god! Oh my god!" She gasped.

"What?"

"You're real!" She exclaimed, her voice becoming high and choked as tears filled her eyes. Then she allowed herself to really look at Kimberly. She looked exactly as she remembered her. Not a day older. The same smile, the same eyes. The same expressions and mannerisms. She gasped shaking. "You're really real." She gasped again, this time tears escaped her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. Her lower lip stuck out as she cried, "You're Kimberly. You're a Power Ranger. You really are." A thin lipped smile and watery eyes looked at Kim again. "You finally came," she whispered. "I have a Power Ranger in my living room!"

"Molly," the Pink Ranger crinkled her brown eyes in concern, "why are you so upset?"

"I don't know why. I don't. But it's just," she tried and failed to steady her shaky voice, but continued anyway, "I watched your show when I was a kid. I haven't even seen it in years. And now that I'm on my own now I don't need anyone," she gasped. But I feel all of a sudden like I've needed you here forever. Like, I didn't need you before, but now that you're here, it feels like," her voice broke with a near sob, "I've just had this hole-"

"When I was a kid I always wanted you to be real… to be here, and you never were. I loved watching you on the show," she gasped and exhaled trying to calm herself, " I didn't have any positive role models when I was growing up, especially no female ones, I didn't know it at the time, but that's what you were for me. And that's sad cuz you were just a TV show-"

Abruptly she turned away her shoulders rising and falling, biting her lips, but quickly lost the battle not to cry. Kim stayed back, waiting.

"But that was all you had," Kim answered softly. "I'm sorry."

Molly sniffled, wiped her nose on her sleeve, then sat down across from the ranger, still too hesitant, afraid and afraid of her own joy to be too near her.

"So, why are you here now? Why did you come to see me?"

"Oh, no I'm not just here, I'm here for a stay." She giggled. "Why do you think I was checkin' out your fridge?"

Molly said nothing, waiting for an answer to her previous questions.

"I can see you're gonna be hard to mislead, or distract," Kim smiled.

"I'm here, like I said earlier, to make sure that you don't fall back and let go of your dream."

"Why do you care?"

"Do you want me to leave?"

Molly gasped in alarm. "No!"

Kim laughed. "Good. Don't worry, I'm not going to go anywhere."

"Because your dream is important. And because where you were before and what you were doing was dangerous."

"So you have been watching me?"

"We have."

"We?"

"Zach has a lot to say about your last job. Er, your last career."

"Why, because he's black? Why just him?"

"No. he thought it was interesting because your students are black and-

"And?"

"Most people, most teachers that are not wouldn't have taught the way that you did."

"That's only if they haven't been raised where their kids were, or just don't have guts like me." Molly answered.

"He said he wished he'd had a teacher like you."

Molly laughed. "So do I!"

"You were really good," Kim agreed.

"I still am," Molly corrected.

Kim gave a half shrug in acknowledgement. "Sometimes we'd hang out in Central and just watch you on the viewer."

"You and??

"Me and Jason, or Zach, and Trini-"

"Wait, if you were watching me recently- how is that possible? Cuz after a while on the show Jason and Trini and Zack-"

"Don't worry about it."

How can I not?

You weren't before were you? Before yesterday you didn't even know I could be in your reality. SO that stands that my reality, the Power Rangers' reality works a little bit differently than yours does."

Whatever.

Exactly.

Look, I'll be here when you need me. That is, when you need me, you'll be able to see and hear me. But I won't always be here here. But I'll be watching." Kim grinned broadly. "I'm so glad I finally am able to meet you! So glad you didn't, that you're not-

"Dead." Molly finished.

Kim nodded. "No matter what anyone says, I'm proud of you!" She emphasized the word I and leaned over to envelope Molly in a bear hug.

Kim rose from the couch. "But sometimes I will be here here, like when I'm hungry, for example." She wandered to the kitchen area.


	4. Chapter 4

Molly's No Students, No Studio, Ballet Studio

In which Kim gets all the Details. We enter in the middle of a conversation in Kimberly's gym. The gym she studies at when she's not at Ernie's.

August 30th, 2007

So, you're starting your own dance studio? That's great!

I wish everyone shared your enthusiasm.

I bet you'll get like hundreds of students!

And your optimism.

Well, what's the matter? Her brown eyes focusing in concern, softening.

I gave up a good paying job to do it, she whispered.

"Uh, a job that you hated," she reminded with a smile. "And it didn't pay all that great, as I recall."

"More than I made before!"

Kimberly made a scoffing sound and put her hands on her hips. "Your health and mental weelbeing are worth more than that!"

"I risked everything," she confessed. "I've been working all summer trying to get this off the ground, and no one is interested. I learned before not to plan out a million things before you know how things stand- you'll waste your time. And break your heart."

Kim's eyes crinkled rimmed with tears and she frowned. I knowm "she put an arm around Molly's shoulders, "that Recreation Dept. program. All that planning, all that work, your talents and skills-"

"For nothing."

Kim shook her head. They didn't appreciate you. They had no understanding of the arts or the discipline and determination."

"I'm glad that you understand."

Kim laughed her signature laugh. "Of course I do! I'm a gymnast!"

"Even when people think you're stupid, you understand a lot more than people realize. You understand more than most people."

"You get that too, huh?" She giggled.

"All the time!"

"You know what?" She grinned. "They're just jealous!"

"I know. And jealousy is just being angry with yourself."

"Exactly! I never really thought of it that way, but it's totally true!"

"They don't have a clue about body awareness."

"You know who does?"

"Doctors."

"And dancers," she gave Molly a sideways hug.

"And gymnasts!" Molly sang out. Then they both laughed and exchanged high fives.

"Out of all the parents that asked for information, " she began.

"How many did?"

About 30.

Wow. And how many registered?

Well, 3 parents." 4 kids total."

Kim's jaw dropped in shock, depositing her gum onto the floor.

"Eew."

Kim didn't seem to notice. "That's terrible!" She exclaimed.

It gets worse," Molly muttered.

Kim's eyebrows raised.

"I had a parent call and cancel for her two daughters.

"Oh my god," she muttered, "just when you thought it couldn't get any worse."

She nodded.

Kim rose and put her hands on her hips. "Spineless! Their kids will turn into blobs like jellyfish, have no discipline, no drive, and no passion! Too bad for them! She shouted bravely.

"Too bad for me. I needed that money.

But is it worth it? To have a bunch of kids parents who ae just like the parents at the rec center? Not committed? Not caring if their kids are even taught properly? Just the showy stuff?" She threw her hands into the air in exasperation. "That's like skipping tumbling and going straight to the high beam because it looks better!"

Molly snorted. "Looks better on the X-ray, you mean!"

"No joke! Parents just don't get it!"

They sat for a while.

"I guess I just don't have much faith in myself right now."

"Ya know, she munched on a new piece of gum, "it all boils down to faith. I have faith in you. I know you're good at what you do. In fact, you're the best at what you do. And you know you're good at it too."

She nodded.

"But I guess what counts now is, do the parents have faith in you?"

"Not too many apparently."

"Maybe not," she conceded, "but that's their problem. Their fault." She pointed with her finger for emphasis.

"What really matters are the parents that do have faith in you, cuz they'll stick with you when things get rough."

"Like right now?"

She grinned and nodded. "Like right now."

"How many parents do you have that you know have faith in you?"

"Three."

"Well, that's a start. It's better than zero."

"True, I don't know what I'd do if absolutely zero parents registered."

"Get really really depressed, probably, and challenge Zack to eat one of Ernie's ice cream splits."

Molly smiled and laughed, relaxing.

"So..," body-bored she wandered over to the uneven barres and swqung herself back and forth. Mid swing she continued, " Are you gonna be able to pay rent with that?"

Molly walked over to the mats and straddled into a split. "No," she answered frankly, "not even close. Only if I get at least 12 students and work at least 8 hours at the center will I be able to pay rent. And right now," she sighed audibly with sadness as she stretched over, "even that seems like a dream. Even if I do get the 4 other potential students, which is a big if, I'd still only be half way to my goal."

"I wish you could live off happiness. I am very happy doing what I do, it's what I love. Somehow it makes me feel like a failure to have to work all these other jobs to make ends meet."

"Well," Kim was perched on top of the highest barre swinging her legs, "how many jobs do I work?"

Molly shrugged. "Uh, two?"

"Yup!" Kim nodded, spun and flipped over, then released to the lower barre. "And that's just to pay to keep up with gym. Which is not cheap, believe you me."

She dropped from the barre to sit on the mat. "WHat about Jason?" She rose tip-toe walking towards Molly, then fouetted to arabesque. "Or Zack? Or Tommy?"

"More than one," she admitted. "And I don't know about you, but we don't even consider that work."

She nodded. "I know. Me neither. Ya know, I didn't even know you taught dance-ercize stuff."

"Yup! I love it! It's great! And, it pays the bills!"

"Yeah, it looks like fun too."

Molly chassed into a split leap then turned back to face Kim.

"Kim, can I tell you something?"

The Pink Ranger looked at her suspiciously. "What?" She whispered.

"I just dropped two other jobs that were very supportive like that because of my assumed studio status. Think of the references I lost- I didn't. At the time."

Kim's eyes widened. "Will they still give you good references?"

"Yeah, she shrugged, "they probably will."

"Then what are you so worried about?"

"They were support. Comfortable. I knew I always had work there."

"So, you took another risk." She walked towards Molly and sat at her feet. "Why?"

"Well," she sank down to the mat as well, "I had to. I had to leave the Rec Center because of time conflicts for one, and pay, and the lack of commitment and insane number of students."

"Wow." She laughed. "It looks like you sure had your reasons there. What about the other one?"

"It was only 1 hour. The pay was better but I never knew if I had work or not. Usually not. And it was far away."

Kim pulled at her leg absently. "Sounds like business to me. After all, you do have rent to pay. "

"Hello."

"So," Kim ruffled Molly's hair, "Let's get you started on alternatives. I have gymnastics, and me and when that's not enough I go into Pink Ranger mode. If that's not enough I team up and then Zord it. What do you have? What will you do?"

"Well for one, I don't have a support team like you. I have me, teaching at the center, my studio…and a lot of maybes. Renting space, office work, waitressing. Right now I'm just hoping for my 12 students.

"Right?"

"Right!"


	5. Chapter 5

Molly's 2 Student, No "Official" Studio, Ballet Studio

"So, how did Saturday go?"

Ernie's was empty, and Kimberly was upside down, asking Molly this question while in a handstand.

"Well," she kicked Kim gently forcing her to fall out of her stand. Once she was on the floor and watching, Molly continued. "It was GREAT!" She pirouetted and grinned. "Only two students showed up. It was embarrassing because I kept them waiting outside with me and their folks for a minute or two waiting for the other two kids whose parents promised they would be there-

"And they didn't show?" Kim's face crumpled in sympathy. Oh how awful. How embarrassing! Poor Molly. I'm so sorry they did that to you!

Molly sighed, then feigned not caring. Well, but get this- the two loved my place! They oohed and aahed just getting into the kitchen-

"Wait, the studio is in your apartment?"

"Duh, where else could it be? I can't afford a real space. And chill, I have insurance and a business licsence for it."

"Oh okay. Sorry. Go on."

"Right. So they were so excited they LOVED all my ballet stuff. And they just went nuts when they saw my studio."

"That is soo cool. You actually have a real studio inside your apartment!"

"Yup. It's good for when I can't take class. Flooring, barres, mirrors and everything."

"That is so neat. No wonder they loved it. That would be like me having a gym in my own house. Cool,"

"And the best part? It was ALL MINE! The students were mine. The studio was mine. I was using my curriculum ideas, and the money was mine! They were mine. My students! Their happy looks were mine. Their learning was mine!

Kim smiled so hard her face hurt. "Oh, I am so proud of you! " She squealed. "I don't care how many students you have or don't have. You made a difference with those students and they obviously loved you for it!"

She grabbed Molly into a bear hug and kissed her on the cheek. Then she grabbed her by the arm and led her to Ernie's bar. Out of nowhere there were two fruit smoothies. Kim grabbed one and Molly the other.

Kim raised her glass to Molly. "And here's to at least 12 students!"

Molly grinned. "I'll drink to that!"


	6. Chapter 6

So, tell me what happened at your old job.

Molly looked up from the ballet book she was reading and was no longer surprised to see Kimberly Hart sitting on her bed. She was wearing pink, as usual, shorts, and some gymnastics getup too, as if she'd just come from the Gym or the Juice Bar. Probably both. So, as if this were still an every day occurance Molly answered,

"Didn't you say that you and the gang watched me all the time in the viewing globe? So, you know what happened."

"Uh, I didn't say we watched you all the time." She smiled and rolled her eyes. "So humor me."

Molly closed the book. "I don't like to even think about it."

Kim met her gaze without blinking. "So, how long were you a teacher in the public schools?"

"I wasn't a teacher most of the time, I was an assistant or a student teacher- then when I actually got paid I was a teacher." Trying to act nonchalant, Molly rose from her chair and walked away. Er, tried to, Kim rose as well, being faster and blocked Molly's way.

"Ooh," she feigned an impressed look, "excusez-moi Miss Money Bags. I meant, how long were you working for free and getting your life put in danger on a daily basis."

"It wasn't a daily basis." She sighed, realizing that the Pink Ranger wasn't going to let this go, pushed past, and walked into the living room.

"Oh, and I suppose the next thing you're going to tell me is that your life wasn't ever in danger?" She grinned, then put up a hand to stop any further speech. She pointed to a pile of envelopes on the floor. "And I suppose all those medicals bills right there stemmed from….oh I don't know, accidents when you were lounging in Haiwaii?"

Molly pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes at Kim. Then she sighed, defeated.

"It was horrible," she muttered. "But it didn't get really bad until maybe the last 2 years. Actually, when I finally took my own teaching job, the kids were fine- well, they didn't attack me, sometimes they were total shits. The job just sucked because there was no administration."

"Uh, and because it wasn't what you wanted to do."

"Well, yeah. But it was okay. I was really really good at teaching school. I mean, really good at it. I still am. And seriously, I could walk into any classroom and teach any subject on the spot, tomorrow. Or right now. I'm good at what I do."

Kim nodded in agreement. "You are good at what you used to do," she corrected. "And what I think you were really super at was hiding your feelings, I knew there were a million times where you wanted to rip 

the kid's heads off you must have been so mad- but you never so much as showed a tiny spark of anger. No one, and I mean no one could tell you were upset. Ever. Those six months where you cried so much? On the way there, in your sleep even!, in the coat room at lunch, at break, in the car on the way home. Even when you were miserable you never let the kids see that.

Well that's cuz that time it wasn't the kids that were making me cry. That was the teacher supervising me. The way she treated me and lied about me. And the 100 pages a week of lesson plans she made me do.

Kim made a disproving sound. "Zack watched you one day. He said you woke up at 3AM to work on lessons for that day because your supervisor had torn your originals to shreds the day before and you had to have a certain amount of pages or you'd get an F for the week."

"Yup." Her voice was sharp. She didn't want to talk about it anymore. Didn't want to remember anymore.

"But Zack said you'd only gone to bed at 1AM, because you were working on stuff for the following week and grading papers and researching stuff."

Molly shrugged.

"And Jason said you had to be at the school at like, 6:30 in the morning, every morning! A camera recorded your image and you had to sign in as proof that you were the first one in the building. And that no one else had to do that as a student teacher, only you. Because your supervisor demanded it." Kim laughed. "She made Rita look nice! And if no one was there at the school you still had to wait outside the whole time so that the camera could record that you never left to go home."

Molly had walked to the kitchen and was trying and failing not to hear Kim as she rambled on.

"And Tommy said once he checked in on you and it was almost 9PM and you were still at the school- Zack said that was normal."

….you lost 30 pounds……..

…your eyelashes and your hair fell out…….

…you got 10 hours of sleep a week……….

…you ended up in the hospital…………

Molly slammed the refrigerator door shut. "Yeah, yeah, and they still 'fired' me and made me re-do another whole 6 months because that bitch didn't like me. She lied and said I never did any work. Even though there were other teachers that backed me up and said the truth about me. One person can have the power to totally ruin your life. Why are you telling me all this anyway? I hate talking about it or even thinking about it! Just let it go, okay?"



Kim shrugged her shoulders innocently with upraised hands as if she'd said nothing at all. Ignoring Molly's last comment she answered,

"One person can't have that power."

"Oh yeah?" Molly was beginning to think this whole Power Ranger thing was one big joke. If they were real, or whatever, they had a seriously warped version of reality. "Then why do you see all those medical bills on the floor? Because at the next six month placement at a middle school- that placement made the other one look like a cake walk."

She was glaring at Kim and advancing towards her like a stealthy cat. But she looked ready to attack. All trace of a ranger worshipping fan was gone.

"So Pink Power Ranger, why did you really want me to tell you about my 'old job'?" She mimicked Kim's voice perfectly. "Because from the sounds of it, you know damn well what happened to me. What does that have to do with now?"

Kim dropped all pretense and her usual demeanor and looked Molly in the eye, seriously. "Remember what I said when we first met. That's why I'm here now."

Molly puckered her lips in the same fashion Kim did, a motion learned from Kim, but the origins of which Molly had long forgotten. She puckered her lips in disgust. Still, when she spoke again there were tears in her eyes. "When they attacked me all those times, when they attacked other teachers? When they shot people? Held knives to teacher's throats?"

She shot a deadly glare at Kim. "Where were you and your fucking Power Rangers then?"


	7. Chapter 7

Sometime in September 2007

Molly had been crying for the past half hour. Head buried in her blue and pink comforter sobbing. Kimberly was gone. But that wasn't why she was crying. She took a gasp of air and was about to scream in anguish when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"What's the problem? Why are you crying?"

"I hate her! She should mind her own business! She said she's here to help- but she's not helping!"

"That's not what I hear. I heard you two were planning out your ballet studio. Now, isn't that a good thing to do? I thought you liked dancing."

That wasn't what she expected to hear. In fact, she had been crying for another reason as well- the fact that she hated her life. And she was terrified of the fact that she would have to go back to teaching school just to make ends meet.

"My ballet studio is a joke," she muttered bitterly. It was a fact. And that hurt.

And then what was being said to her, and the voice saying it, the hand on her shoulder finally registered… it wasn't Kimberly.

Molly raised her head and let out a sob at who was sitting at her side. "Tommy! Oh my god! Tommy!" Without another word she fell against him, crying, praying that he would never leave.


	8. Chapter 8

"So, why don't you tell me what's going on?"

"You mean you don't know?"

"I didn't say that. I said why don't you tell me?"

Tommy spoke with authority and for a moment Molly was afraid of him. Afraid not to. She knew what happened when you pissed off a Power Ranger.

Still she shook her head. "ISn't that what Kim was trying to do?"

"No. What she was trying to do, what she was doing was getting you to open up about your past, be honest with yourself whether you liked it or not."

"Not."

"Examining yourself isn't always a fun thing to do. Looking at a past that troubles you-that haunts you, is one thing, many people will run away from a truth like that."

"I did."

She looked at Tommy expecting a response. She blinked and realized she was no longer seeing him as she had when he'd first arrived. He was wearing green then, regular clothes, with his hair down. Now he was wearing a ranger uniform, but it was out of focuse she couldn't tell if it was green or white or-

"Why can't I see you the way I see Kimberly?"

"You're seeing me through your own eyes. And right now you can't be certain how you're supposed to see me… let's just say you have a lot of doubts. And fears." He smiled and for a moment she saw his face again. "Let's just say you're not intimidated or afraid of Kim. But don't worry, I won't tell." He laughed and Molly saw him again as he was in his regular street clothes. She smiled back and sighed happily.

But then Tommy looked grave again. "But we do need to talk about this. We can't leave it alone where Kim left off."

Molly sighed again this time in displeasure and looked away.

"Molly, look at me."

For a moment she felt her child's heart flip in happiness with childish dreams. But when she looked at him that vanished.



"We need to talk about this. Kim was willing to finally let you have your space, but like she said she's here for a reason. We've been watching you for a reason. The path before you is split now, and if you take the wrong turn, it could be deadly."

"Ooh, here comes Rita!" She whispered mockingly, and laughed quietly to herself.

"That's enough!"

Molly sat bolt upright mouth agape.

"You need to stop that right now. It won't help you. Hasn't been helping you at all."

"What?"

"The way you cover things up, cover your real emotions, seal yourself off from other people. That is not the way to deal with your fears."

"You made a choice, for the right reasons. It was a courageous choice, but not an easy one to make and an even more difficult choice to stick to when things start to get tough. Right now you're questioning the validity of your choice in the face of money matters in the face of your questionable success…which is only questioned by you because you aren't meeting your definition of success."

"No kidding," she rolled her eyes in disgust, "I'll have to go back to teaching or something, because I was assuming that this would be successful enough to pay the bills."

Tommy put a foot up on her desk chair. "You took a risk. A risk most people wouldn't take no matter how unhappy they are in their jobs or their lives. You looked at where you were realized that it wasn't where you wanted to stay- and then you took a step that most people wouldn't bother with- you began planning a way out that matched a life-long dream. And then when you'd saved up enough money for a couple month's fall back, you did what hardly anyone would do- you left a job that paid all your bills and met your financial needs. With no hesitation you stepped forward to make a new life for yourself, one that would bring you joy- to become the owner of a dance studio."

Molly looked at him, her check cupped in her hand. _He's so hot._

"Now to most people that might not seem like much. They might even say it was a dumb thing to do. But are they persuing their dreams? No. If they were they wouldn't laugh at yours. No one who has passion and pursues their own dreams would ever laugh at someone trying to do the same- no matter how different their dreams may be- as long as they weren't harming anyone, he amended. It takes a lot of courage to pursue a dream, and even more guts to stick with it when things don't go the way you planed."

_He's hot. _



"But Molly, you're thinking of turning away from your dream. After only a few months. But not only that, you're actually considering going back to a job that could put you back in the hospital! Your body still hasn't recovered fully from your last student teaching position. Molly, this is not a good idea.

_Hot. He should be a motivational speaker. He sure motivates me. Yum! He's hot!_

"There has got to be something else you can do other than turn away from your dream completely. At least a job that wouldn't physically jepordize your health. Come on, Molly, let's think of some things"

"You want to marry me…" Molly muttered, eyes glazed.

"What?"

Molly snapped back to attention at the same time. "What?"

Tommy groaned in frustration,shaking his head. Then he sighed and put a hand to his head. And disappeared.

"Damn it!" She glared at the spot he'd been standing. But then she was happy that she could finally crow aloud, "He's so hot! Hot, hot, hot! He is so hot!"

Not bothered in the least she flopped back onto the bed and continued the day dream she'd began. She was still muttering about his hotness as she fell asleep.


	9. Chapter 9

October 2007

"So, I hear you found a solution to your money problem, and you're not feeling so desperate."

Molly gasped and turned her head to see Kimberly sitting on her kitchen counter.

She shrugged. "Yeah, I went back to school and got enough financial aide to live off for a while."

"Cool."

She looked sidelong at Molly and giggled.

"What?"

The giggle turned into a full out laugh. "You two!"

"Who two?"

"You and Tommy!" She gushed.

"Oh, you didn't think I left for no reason, did you?"

"You were getting on my nerves!"

Kim laughed. "I know. I was supposed to, you know. But we all knew who wouldn't get on your nerves," she sang out.

"We were all watching you"

"How voyeuristic,"she muttered.

"Oh!" She ruffled Molly's hair playfully. "You're no fun!"

"Jason started a count down."

"A countdown of what?"

Kim bit her lip. "How long it would take for you to go off to La-la Land with Tommy."

Molly's face reddened. "Oh my gosh!"

"He bet ten seconds. Zach bet five. Trini and Billy were holding out for you though. They thought you might actually listen to what Tommy had to say."

"I was listening!"

Kimberly smiled. "Uh huh…"

Molly turned her back and walked to her ballet barre and began to stretch as if she didn't care at all. Which was a lie.



Kim took her place across from her and did the same. For a moment. Then she stopped and stared seriously at Molly.

"You look guilty. Like you did something bad.

What are you talking about?

"Oh," she gasped, "now I know you did something!" The pink ranger's face lit up at the possibility of surprise and excitement.

"You mean Zordon didn't fill you in?" It was Molly's turn to laugh.

Kim made a face. "Spill it!"

"I got my students back. I stole them."

"What?"

"I have four students now."

"Go back a sec to the stole part."

"Well, if your spying butt remembers I used to teach ballet for the city's recreation department.

"That place was a joke-"

"Thank you for not interrupting, Pink."

"Hey!"

Molly smiled then, and it was a friendly smile. She sighed, stepped away from the barre and sat down on the floor, relishing the fact that she had her own mini dance studio in her own apartment. And also relishing keeping Kim in suspense.

"Anyway," she finally continued, "there were only a couple of parents there that gave a damn and I had two students for a number of years that kept coming back.

Right.

Well, I decided that I wanted them back.

Uh oh.

And I knew where one of their sisters was studying ballet and-

Oh no. You didn't.

I staked them out. I set up camp and waited



Ooh," she squealed in dismay, but Kim was still smiling.

They didn't know I'd planned the whole thing. They just thought it was a happy coincidence. And before you know it I was told I'd have two of my old students back. And on Saturday they showed up.

So you now have 4 students? Hey! That's a 50 increase.

Molly gave a half smile. "Yeah."

Kim stood up and did a spontaneous front handspring.

"Hey, have I ever told you how much I love the fact you intentionally left empty space for gymnastics practice?"

"It's not for gymnastics practice!"

"It is for me!" She answered in a sing song voice, proceeding to flip and spin. "I'm happy things are finally looking up for you, kid!"


	10. Chapter 10

The sun was shining for once and the breeze wasn't freezing, or even cool. It was actually warm out. Which meant Molly had ample desire to lounge around outdoors, to heck with the time. Time she had, because she was taking a necessary break from her college dance classes. Otherwise known as skipping school. Going back to school for dance wasn't all it was cracked up to be. But for the moment it was the only thing paying her rent, so she stuck with it. To heck if it took up so much of her time she couldn't get any other work than her beloved 'fake' studio, and the hellions at the after school program.

Kim never had to teach brats like this, she thought. Or Tommy, or Zack or Jason. She let out a loud sigh. The park was empty, as other people were either at school or work. She sank down on the warm grass and just sat. Why not? No one was going to stop her. And no one would be checking up on her.

"Kids did things in the classrooms you were in that wouldn't make it on Cops, let alone an episode of the Power Rangers!"

Molly gasped, terrified that she had been discovered, and even more terrified that someone knew of her obsession with a kid's TV show. She whipped her head around, and was ready to jump to her feet to defend herself if need be. I mean, who would be wandering around a park at this time-

When her eyes found their target she laughed shaking her head and wagging her finger in disapproval.

"You don't have to tell me that," she chuckled. "I know it."

"Still you kicked butt even at the worst schools." Zack lowered himself to the ground across from her, choosing to lean against a large oak tree for support. "Hey, aren't you supposed to be in school, or something?"

She grinned, knowing that Zack really didn't care, and wasn't about to place judgement on her. "Or something," she answered.

"You had to be tough," Zack observed, obviously referring back to Molly's teaching days. "Those kids would've eaten you alive if you weren't. You were smart. You were innovative. You did what you had to do. And don't think we didn't know when you took your first teaching job- even though you knew you were already burnt out on teaching. And that you were the sixth teacher for that class in less than a year. And on your first day two of your students were being hauled off by the cops."

True.

"And on the first day you said if they didn't act right you'd be happy to go right straight back to the ballet company to take morning class. And you didn't give a shit about leaving them unsupervised cuz you could care less about the job. And you said it, just like that!" He laughed.

True.

"And whenever you got bored you'd bust out with random ballet moves."

A proud smile spread across her face. "Yup. That piqued their interest. They respected me after that."



He nodded his head appreciatively. "Hey a chick that can throw her leg up on the wall can do anything!"

They laughed together.

"Admit it: You were a darn good school teacher. Knew all the stuff in the books and what should be in them. And you knew how to have fun."

"Yeah, when I was finally able to. With my own classroom. With students who didn't try to kill me." She sighed with a mixture of regret and wistfulness. "Sometimes I miss it. But only with that classroom of kids."

"That was the other thing Kim was going to have you admit."

"So Kim sent you here?" Not that she wanted him to leave. Heck, it was a thrill to have the Power Rangers be real. And to have them give a damn about her. But why?

Zack broke into her train of thought and answered,"Nah. I won the bet with Jason."

"What's Jason gotta do? Since he lost?"

Zack laughed. "You'll find out," he grinned wickedly.

They sat in silence for a long time. Finally, Zack stood up and began pacing. Then he spoke again.

"But you know that you only started to get your degree in Education so that it would help you be a better dance teacher. Trini jumped in, I think when you were about six months into the program, and said, 'she's forgetting why she's there.' You got sucked in and brainwashed. You actually started thinking that you really really wanted to be a school teacher."

"You got it. But I was good at it."

"Hey," he put up a hand, "no one's saying that you're not. You know that, right? You really need to get that you not teaching school anymore doesn't mean that you weren't good at it. That you weren't a total kick butt school teacher, cuz you were. Believe me. I watched what you did with the kids. You were good. But," he paused as if to be sure he had her complete attention, " Molly, you have to understand and believe that it doesn't matter what anyone thinks is true about you or your abilities. It doesn't even matter if they think well of them, or what we Power Rangers think. What really matters- the only thing that matters, is what you know for yourself to be true. Because you're the only one that you have to answer to at the end of the day. Only you."

Molly nodded, but it was hesitant. "I still want people to think, to know that I was good at it- that I could go back at any day or time and still be good, be great at it."

"Why is that so important to you?"

"I don't know."



But you choose not to teach school anymore because

I'm sick of kids that behave like animals. Plus I'd never be able to get a group of kids like my first teaching job. That was awesome.

But even with that being admittedly the best teaching experience you'd had most likely would ever, it wasn't that great.

Yeah, the whole lawyer hours teacher pay thing wasn't so hot. And even on a good day, the kids were still nuts and out of control.

"So why not go to a 'suburban' school, or a private school?"

"Because I'm too burned out. The thought of going to any school makes my body tense up and my muscles ache. Just the thought of it. Because after five years my body has been physically conditioned to defend itself, which unfortunately for me, leaves me in agony most of the time."

"You know, I really felt for you then."

Molly turned her head at the sound of a new voice.

"Tommy." She was surprised, but more touched by the tone in his voice. She was so drained by the memories the conversation brought up she was too spent to feel twitterpated in his presence.

"I know what it's like to tear a muscle."

He spoke to her kindly, just as Zack had, but she could also hear more sincerity in his voice, almost….regret, maybe guilt?

" I know what it's like to be in pain because you can't do the movements that you usually do. You body gets addicted to the levels of endorphins produced when you danced. And to stop doing that was one thing, I could see your pain in your body and in your face when you sat in the classrooms for your own lectures. Having to be on constant alert though, because your life was in danger, or because someone else's might be at any moment, was a million times worse, even though you were constantly standing, walking, monitoring the classroom. On top of that, just the stress of trying to teach in the midst of screaming teenagers when you only had 4 kids out of 40 that actually wanted to learn- the frustration of that- you were so tense that your muscles tore apart just standing still because the constant strain and then a spike in strain when a kid would scream in your ear or throw something… gosh, Molly, I'm so sorry for all of that. I watched you then. You were in agony."

"You popped pills," Zack added. "Just so you wouldn't be crying in pain all the time. Or from misery," he added.

"You never should have been on those pills.

Zack turned to face Tommy with a look of astonishment.



"She shouldn't have had to, man! I can't believe those schools were so bad! No one should have to go through that!"

"I know." Tommy sounded subdued.

Molly finally broke the silence herself. "One time I was standing there trying to teach a lesson as usual, and Marquise just screamed in my ear. Screamed. For no reason. I could feel my blood pressure go up. The muscles in my arms seized up, and my hamstrings felt like someone was snapping me with a huge rubber band. "

"At lunch you looked at your arms, you had veins sticking out like crazy! Like some body builder!" Zack laughed, but it wasn't funny.

"And on your legs you had huge purple welts," Tommy added, "blood clots, from where the muscle fibers in your legs had snapped from over strain. And that's a torn muscle, that's nothing like getting a bruise. Nothing like a 'sore' muscle after you've worked out too hard-"

"Man, we know, okay? Please don't go into it again. It's excrutiating and immobilizing okay? I get it."

Tommy grinned. "I'm just saying I, we, know where she's coming from."

"Yeah, well I learned all about torn muscles that one day- " he turned back to Molly. "Zordon called us in and said you were hurt bad-"

"Zack's words, not Zordon's."

"Obviously."

"You'd torn your gracilius muscle almost completely in half, after doing a… a…

"A grand jete." She supplied the vocabulary, knowing it had been her worse injury to date-not counting teaching injuries.

"Yeah, right. Before a previous tear on the same muscle had healed." He finished.

"Man, it was black!" Zack's face was contorted in revulsion at the memory. "Your leg was black! It looked like someone had burned your leg with an iron, to a crisp. It was disgusting. That had to hurt."

"Trust me, it did."

"So you were well aware of the severity of the strain you were putting your body under when you felt your hamstrings spontaneously ripping and tearing. You knew that feeling, and the damage it would cause." Tommy sounded upset, disapproving. Molly felt as if she had to defend herself. So she rose to her feet and faced him, angry that he wasn't recognizing the strength of the sacrifice she had willingly made in order to get her teaching degree.

"I wasn't going to quit. I wasn't going to let myself get kicked out again, either."



"You stuck with it." Zack piped up again, understanding apparently.

"Believe it or not, no one would have thought any less of you if you had quit." Tommy's voice was dead pan. He was serious, and did obviously disapprove.

"Anyone with brains." She shot back.

"You went too far with it, you risked too much."

Tommy, she knows that. She has permanent damage, man. Just from teaching a bunch of brats, there are somethings that she'll never be able to do again. Or do again without being in pain."

"Yeah, like, lift her arm or shrug her shoulders." He sounded disgusted.

"Well, hello, if you knew all of this," going back to her original question to Kim, "why didn't you come and save me? Beat the shit out of those little assholes? Do something to help me?"

And then Tommy and Zack both looked at each other for a long moment. As if they were both guilty of the same thing, or both holding back on her.

"It's not that we didn't want to. Trust me, it's definitely not that we didn't want to. We did. We just…"

"Couldn't."

"Why not?"

"You already know that our reality is different than yours, right?"

She nodded.

"If we had jumped in, done anything… to put it simply, if your life then had been changed, made easier, you never would have had the push the literal need to jump at your dream."

The other question on her lips was why? Why are you paying attention to me? But she was afraid that if she asked that, they might vanish. She definitely didn't want to kick a gift-horse in the mouth, or whatever that saying was. Plus, she wanted to find out why Tommy was being such an ass, after initially seeming to be so upset and sympathetic to her body injury plight. Not that she should care….but she did.


	11. Chapter 11

Note: This is just a little divertissement suggested by one of the readers. One of the readers, mind you, who is too dang chicken to do much more than lurk. So, take note- if you're reading this, you should also be reviewing it! Especially you! I may do something with this, I may not. End note.

It was dark. The fact that it was late at night was an understatement. Still Molly knocked on the door in front of her, praying that someone would be home, and that that someone whomever they were would not be too upset at being awoken. She didn't recognize the house, but that might just be the darkness surrounding her. She knew the general area that she was in, and just hoped that by proximity she would find someone who could help her. The shape of the house looked like Billy's. Or, it could have been Jason's. It was hard to tell the difference, in the darkness.

She rang the bell, knocked on the door and waited. She wanted to be polite. She waited. She didn't knock obnoxiously.

She bit her lip quietly humming with worry. "Please be home, please be home, oh please please please be home!" She whispered. She tapped her foot impatiently, then finally knocked on the door again, louder this time.

She gasped and smiled when she heard the sound of movement behind the door.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." A voice behind the door muttered.

Molly smiled. Jason, she decided. Or, maybe Billy? It was a low voice, and muffled by the door so it was probably

The door opened abruptly.

"Jason, thank goodness you're-"

She stopped. And stared. She blinked hard. This couldn't be right.

"Bulk?"

If her imagination was over active, or if her brain was crazy, she decided then and there that it was also directionally impaired.

"Who the heck are you?"

"Uh, I must have the wrong house," she stammered, already trying to back away. "I was looking for-"

"Hey," he stepped out in his bathrobe and slippers half in half out of the house, "do I know you?"

Molly shook her head hard. "I uh, I don't think so. Really, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to wake you-"

"No." He held up a hand. "I do know you! You're that…that ballerina- from that TV show! You know, tough school teacher by day, ballerina by night." His face lit up as it did when he was scheming something. "Yeah, that's you!"



Molly stared, mouth agape.

Bulk nodded wildly, then stopped so abruptly it was comical. "Uh, not that I watch that show! Just uh, it's my uh, kid sister, she watches that kind of stuff. All that pink, you know."

"Hey, uh, could I get your autograph? For my sister," he amended, smiling charmingly. Well, charmingly for Bulk.

Molly closed her eyes hard. This was unreal. She heard Bulk fumbling for a pen, she opened her eyes to stop him, because it was ridiculous and nuts- and saw the moon shining through her bedroom window.

She sat up in bed with a gasp. She let out the breath and sighed. "That was too, too weird."


	12. Chapter 12

So I worked a bit of the divertissement into this one. We'll see. I was going to change the ending. I may anyway. Oh well.

Sometime around Thanksgiving 2007

"So whatcha up to?" Kim smacked her gum. It was Saturday, and the Juice Bar was just beginning to see people trickle in. Molly and Kim were seated at the bar.

She shrugged. "Did I tell you I got that job?"

Kim's eyebrows raised appreciatively. "What job?"

'That one. The one that hired me as an independent contractor. They met my price. All I have to do is sit back and wait for the kids to register."

"That sounds neat."

"Well, it's a start."

"It's about time."

"You got that right. But, she sighed, "it's months away. And who knows if anyone will even sign up?"

How long do you have to wait before you know?"

Four months.

Ooh, ouch." She grimaced. "But," she perked up, "I see you have been busy." She pointed to a stack of postcards that sat next to Molly on the opposite stool.

"Yup," Molly grinned in spite of herself. 400 postcards addressed by hand by me."

"For?"

"Traveling dance camps. The dance camp comes to the location. As opposed to people coming to me."

"Wow. That's convienient. People will jump at the chance. Like, at schools and daycare centers?"

"Uh huh."

"Hey, Kimberly." Ernie walked through the other side of the bar, smiling at her. "Kimberly's friend," he nodded.

"This," Kim smiled back, putting a hand on Molly's shoulder, "is my friend Molly."

"Hello Molly."



"Hi, Ernie." She answered.

"Hey, how'd you know that? You talkin' about me behind my back, Kim?"

She grinned and shook her head. "Of course not!" She pretended to pout. "Can we at least get some smoothies? We're just catching up on girl talk."

"I see. Well anything for two gorgeous young ladies."

Kim turned back to Molly the moment Ernie was gone to continue their conversation. She picked up right where Molly left off.

"That's cool. That's really cool. It's a great idea."

"Yeah, I just hope I don't get too many locations responding. I can only be in one place at a time!"

Kim laughed with her. "No kidding."

"So how's your after school program going?"

Molly rolled her eyes. "Hellaciously. The kids are rotten! I'm not kidding you. They are so ghetto. They run and scream and don't listen- and most importantly they don't pay attention in dance class and they don't show up consistently."

Kim made a face. "If that happened at my old gym- even one of those things, that kid would be kicked out for good."

"I can't do that. If I kicked out every kid who was a godawful bad ass, I wouldn't have any students."

"You're kidding, right?"

Molly was solemn. "No. Not. At. All. These kids, kindergarners and first graders get suspended weekly. I'm not joking these kids are bad."

"But you don't treat them that way, right?" She looked worried.

"Of course not. But no matter what I do they still are awful. We're supposed to have them practicing their dance for the summer show, but no one shows up. And since it's a free program, they don't have to. Their parents feel no obligation to make their kid show up."

Kim groaned and grimaced. "That's awful. Molly, my gosh. I'd just quit. You're not teaching dance you're-

"Babysitting," she finished for her.

"But you still get paid, right?"

Ernie came with their smoothies. "Here you go, girls, on the house."



Molly gave a small smile in thanks, but raised an eyebrow and reminded herself to be careful around Ernie. She took a sip of her smoothie, waited to pass out, then when that didn't happen, she continued,

"Oh yeah, I wouldn't be there otherwise. I get paid more than I ever have- per hour, that is. I thought at the beginning that would make it worth it and I could put up with anything-

"But it doesn't. It isn't about the money."

"Yeah, and I can't quit because I need the money."

Kim bit her lip and shook her head in dismay. "Well, hopefully things will get better."

Molly looked at the floor. "Yeah," she sighed, not believing it one bit.

"Tommy!" Kimberly suddenly squealed and waved her hand so hard Molly thought it might fall off.

He gave them a tilt of the head in greeting before he made his way over to the mats.  
"He's got a class to teach," Kim whispered.

"I figured," Molly answered.

Then she watched Kim watching Tommy, she was biting her lower lip and her entire face was alight with. Not in a sexual way, merely in the child like excited innocent manner that Molly had come to expect from Kimberly. She was just happy to see him. But still…

Molly sneered and glared, until Kim turned her face in Molly's direction. She made her face neutral instantly. But when Kim glanced away for a moment, Molly looked over at Tommy. She sighed and physically turned her head away, putting a fist over her mouth. Then she jerked her head sideways to the beam, and put her drink down.

Come on!

What?

She walked over and slapped the top of the beam. "Get on the beam b-" she stopped short. Took a breath in and let it out. "Just show me some of your stuff."

"What were you going to say?"

She was in the middle of handstand presses.

"NOthng, just some alliteration."

"Some what?"

"Alliteration. You know-"  
'OH yeah," she lowered herself back parallel with the beam, "when words have the same letter. Like balance beam. That's an alliteration." She gasped for breath and pressed back up to the ceiling. "A two 

word alliteration."  
Molly shot a glance over at Tommy. "I can make it three," she muttered.

What?

Nothing, she answered brightly.

She was jealous. Amittedly. Not like she could ever actually date Tommy. Long distance relationships were bad enough, inter-reality relationships? Not happening.

"Hey, watch this."

Molly looked.

Kim did a cartwheel into a front handspring, then a switch leap to arabesque, and then a couple of back springs into some crazy aerial spin from which she landed straddeling the beam.

Holy crap. She was amazed. But when she saw Kim grinning at her, she tried not to look it.

She nodded appreciately.

"Hey, can I try some stuff?"

The usually perky Kimberly Hart looked pensive and apprehensive. "Uh…." She forced a smile, "sure!" She dismounted quickly, and stood aside.

Molly mounted the beam the way she'd been taught in elementary school. Then she was up there standing. And she realized that the beam used to be a lot closer to the ground when she was a kid, and the beam didn't look nearly so dangerous then as it did now. Molly had a strong urge to slowly crouch down to the beam, then simply lock legs and arms around it and hold on for dear life. She gulped. She couldn't chicken out now. But then again, Kim was a toothpick. If Molly felt, she'd probably kill Kim rather than be caught by her.

She was just about to mutter, you better morph, when she saw Bulk and Skull walk in. She looked away and back at the beam.

"Hey," Kim called from the ground, "just take a few steps."

Aw geez, she can tell I'm scared. Great, just great. Taking a deep breath and mustering courage brought on by embarrassment and pride, she bit her lip and started ballet walking across the beam. Center held tight and arms out stretched.

"Hey," Bulk laughed, "there's another Kimberly on the balance beam."

Skull laughed. "Ha! Kim's got a twin!"

"Heey… don't that look like that girl on TV? That ballerina?" Then he jabbed Bulk in the side and snorted with laugher. "Hey," he laughed, "isn't that like that girl you saw?"



Bulk stared. "It's not funny," he insisted. "Hey-" he raised his voice, pointing. "That _is_ the girl I saw!"

Molly heard this. She heard Kim said, "Uh oh," she turned her head quickly afraid, looking at Bulk. That wasn't possible-

And suddenly the side of the beam was gone. "Help!" She cried out as she began to fall, thinking that there had to be a right way to fall and land, but she couldn't think of one. Her legs and arms were all tangled up. She heard Kim shout, and as she was falling saw Tommy begin to run towards her.

But he was too late. Molly hit the floor with a bang. The wind was knocked out of her. When she could breathe again, she noticed how much her hip and her head hurt. She'd landed on her side. Definitely not the right way to fall, she knew. With a groan she opened her eyes. She was lying on the brown ugly carpet of- her bedroom?

Wh-

She looked around. Her legs were wrapped in her sheets. She laughed in realization. "What, I'm like, three or something? I fell out of bed?!" She let out an anguished sigh and just lay there, too embarrassed to get back up.


	13. Chapter 13

December 2007

"Merry Christmas!"

Molly turned her head suddenly smiling already at the bouquet of pink roses that were held in front of her. And she had more than that reason for smiling- she recognized the voice of the person behind her.

"Tommy!" She squealed, embracing him in a tight hug.

She released him with a sigh. "I'm so glad you're here!"

"Things not going so well, huh?"

"Not really. School sucks."

Tommy grinned and chuckled conspiratoriously. Then looked at her seriously. "But you are studying, right? Putting work into it?"

She gave him a sideways smile. "Yeah," she admitted. "I love it. And I want this. Even though I don't need it."

"I'm glad you see that as true at last."

She laughed. "Me too."

Tommy sat down on the floor across from her, leafing through a dance magazine as she rose to put his bouquet in a vase.

"So, I hear your arts program isn't going too well?"

Not able to locate a vase, Molly came out of the kitchen with the bouquet in a clear glass. She shok her head. "Nope. Not at all. I didn't get a single location that wanted it. Not one out of four hundred."

Tommy shook his head and raised his hands in the air in a motion of defeat. "What more do these people want? You're practically giving this to them, and they refuse it."

Molly shrugged. "I'm used to failure. Good thing too, or this newest example of the fact might just kill me."

"You shouldn't be used to failure. You're NOT a failure," he pointed out. He nodded in the direction of her ballet barre. "You have students here who are happy, right?"

"Yeah," she put the glass of roses on the window sill, "but I just wish I could do more for them. They deserve better than this. Better than what I can give them."

Tommy stood up and walked around the studio. Molly noticed, with a smile, that he had the sense and decency to remove his shoes before he did so.

"But nothing. You are an excellent teacher. You do the best with what you have. Your students are happy. That's all a person can ask for. Eventually you will be able to give them more, they know that. They must think very highly of you if they're willing to stick it out with you when things are looking tough."

Molly sighed again. "Yeah," she whispered.

"Come on," he walked over to Molly and led her to the couch, "that's not why you're upset. Tell me what else is bothering you."

She sat down and gave a scoffing laugh. "What else is wrong? Everything! I feel guilty about all of this, for one thing, then there's the fact that I'm not making any money. And I don't know what to do once my student loans are over because that's what I'm living on right now. If it wasn't for two of my students, I wouldn't be eating either, because my student loans pay my rent, and those two students weekly payments pay for my food. I'm not getting any more students, I know that now. I just wish I would, because I could use the money."

"And?"

"And I still feel guilty about not being a school teacher. As if I'm not contributing to society or making a useful positive impact on the futures of children because I'm not teaching school."

Tommy backed away from her with an air of offense. "So, what I do teaching martial arts...you don't think I should be doing that? It's a waste of time?"

"No! I didn't say that."

"How is what you do now, and what I do any different? Neither of us are teaching school- you don't see me upset about that do you? Or should I think that I'm not making an impact on children?"

She stared at him, baffled for a moment, not sure what to say.

"It's just that... you know, spending 8 hours a day with the kids..you have the opportunity to teach them more, to have more of an impact just due to the fact that you have more time."

"So time is key, huh?"

"Plus you get to teach them different subjects."

"I teach my students history, geography, health, math, how to build character, life skills..." he trailed off for a moment. "That's not enough?"

She just looked at him, upset, none of her personal guilt gone, but now also upset that she'd upset Tommy.

But he didn't look upset. Instead he smiled and asked, "And just how well do you remember your school teachers."

Molly made a face. "Very well," she muttered.

"And do you remember them because they had a 'positive impact' on your life?" He paused for a moment to let that sink in. "Or, is it because despite all those hours they spent with you, you had a bad experience with them?"

Again, Molly could only stare at Tommy.

"You see, it's not about what you have, what you give materialistically to others, and it's also not about the amount of time. It's about the impact and purpose of the time that you do have, the quality of your relationships."

"You remember your dance teachers as fondly as I do my martial arts teachers, my sensais. And what they taught me then has made me into who I am today. I learned more from spending a couple of hours a week with my sensai, than I did spending all day wtih my teachers at school."

He rose, then bent down again and gave Molly a quick peck on the cheek.

"Don't get discouraged. You're doing the right thing. Everything will turn out fine in the end. You'll see."

He winked at her, and then he was gone.


	14. Chapter 14

Molly was staring, feeling disgust and rage but showing nothing but outward calm.

"Davonette," she snapped, "be quiet. Look at what I'm doing. Watch, and follow along.

She'd been demonstrating the choreography to their new dance. A half hour had gone past and she'd only been able to get through the entire dance a handful of times. Not because the piece was long,it was actually only one minute and fifteen seconds, but the children couldn't remember anything after the first five seconds, or someone kept interupting the 'learning process' by talking, complaining, or trying to fight another student.

WHen is this hell going to be over? She rolled her eyes heavenward and spied Natalie grabbing for Dani's pony tail.

"Natalie!" She gave her the evil eye. For once the child seemed to get the idea , stopped what she was doing and shut up.

Molly'd long since abandoned the 'management techniques' she'd learned as a school teacher. Praising the children who were following directions did nothing. Especially when none of the children were following directions!

Just as she turned back to go over the last parts of the dance, she heard movement behind her, quickly she spun around.

"Kira and LaQuanita- stay there! You're not allowed to leave till class is over!"

"We hate being here," they whined. "Can we go back upstairs?"

"No. You signed up and you're here. You stay here. You can't just show up on the 'fun' days, and when it's time to actually do a tiny bit of work you leave. It doesn't work that way. That's not fair to everyone else. We'll never get this dance finished if no one shows up when they're supposed to or'

Cece and Ana ran off down the hallway. Molly just rolled her eyes and shook her head. Not planning on going after them, and slightly glad they'd left.

"Or run off." She finished her sentence, feeling dejected.

I hate this job, I hate this job, I hate this job. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Let's try it again"

At that moment LaTasha decided to stand up from the spot on the floor she'd decided to claim while she pouted and refused to participate.

"What are we doing? Can you show it again?"

Molly cocked her head and raised an eyebrow. "You weren't watching the other times it was shown. THree times you just sat on the floor because you didn't know the dance in the first place- because you skipped the last three classes. Now you have to make up for what you missed. It was your choice to skp class and hide when I came to get the dancers. Don't complain to me. THis is your own fault."

"This is stupid!" She yelled.

Ignoring her, Molly began the music, and the three students that knew the dance began- until Latasha jumped into the middle of the line and started doing whatever she wanted.

"Tasha! STOP it!"

"MOVE!"

"Get out of the way!"

"DOn't blame me, I don't know what to do." She put her hands on her hips, refusing to move and glared at Molly as if it were all her fault.

"THen you should have watched when we were doing it, instead of sitting there pouting like a baby!" Brenda yelled.

Molly smiled inwardly. At least she didn't have to say it. But she had no patience, and didn't even want to try anymore to be nice or indulging or show the dance 'one more time' for the ungrateful kids. Messing up might actually motivate them to try to pay attention the few times she went over the dance with them.

"Well, I'm here."

The gudging, unwilling voice sounded so much like the after school kids she 'taught', at first Molly thought nothing of it. She merely sighed, and turned around at the sound of the new voice ready to ask why they were late- and her mouth dropped open in shock.

"Don't worry," he muttered, obviously embarrassed, "they can't hear me or see me. Only you can."

Not knowing what to say, and considering, under the circumstances it surely was best to say nothing at all, she only stared.

"I lost that bet, remember? Now, the next time you start the music, I have to dance with the rest of the kids."

MOlly bit her lip and stiffled back laughter. She motioned with her hand to the group of children, and as Jason moved to stand behind them, she began the music, turning back to the group, with a gaze that appeared to be looking at the children, but she was really watching Jaaon.

At least someone's been practicing, she thought. Then she realized how sad it was that this was the only bright spot to her work here today. Sad, just sad.

When the music finished, Molly smiled. "Not bad," she commented. "That wasn't bad at all. PRetty good, actually."

The children smiled happily, and Molly looked at them with surprise, having forgotten them for a moment. She laughed and really looked at her group, smiling and affirming for them as well- that was very good.

Glancing at the clock, she was releived to see that her time was up.

Inwardly she squealed with glee. "Time to go everyone!" She called.

"YAY!"

She waited till all the children had filled out of the classroom.

"You got that right."


	15. Chapter 15

Feb 2008

Well, I was afraid that some, okay, one, of my students wouldn't come back after Christmas.

MOlly and Kimberly were sitting in the darkened Juice Bar.

Why?

"Because nothing's improved."

"But your kids have come really far."

Molly smiled. "Yeah, they really have."

"THat says something."

Molly shrugged. Kim knew it wasn't enough for her. She also knew how she'd feel in Molly's shoes. If she were trying to start her own gymnastics school, and kept meeting with the failure that Molly had.

"I'm almost done with school. I've advertised for those on-location dance classes-"

"And gotten nothing," Kim sighed. "I know."

There were ones that I did over the summer, and new ones in the late fall too- nothing."

"Are you going to do any for this summer?"

"I have to. Summer Dance Camps are a big thing."

Kim bit her lip, looking sad.

Molly sighed this time. "I know," she answered the Pink Ranger's silent comments. "Those aren't very likely either. However, it's still the best bet I have- and yes I know how sad that is."

"I'm so sorry Molly. I just don't know what to do. I can't think of any good reason why this wouldn't be working for you."

"I know, that's the worst part."

"HEy," Kim perked up, "What about that job that hired you on and met your price? It's February- you've started there already then, right?"

The look on Molly's face, made Kim's heart drop.

"Yeah, I started," she began darkly. "It was in the middle of a blizzard. I showed up for my first day, and I got into the building and was told my classes were canceled."

"Because of the blizzard?"

Molly shook her head. "They didn't get anyone registered for my classes."

"WHat?!" Kim was outraged. "And they didn't tell you? You were counting on this- you turned down other jobs because of this one-" she was sputtering with rage.

"That's my luck for you." Molly's voice was calm, resigned, depressed.

Kim's brow wrinkled, and she pursed her lips in sympathy. "Molly, I'm so sorry," She looked at her feeling helpless, and knew there was nothing she could do. She hated that.

"Maybe it's for the best?" She offered meekly.

Molly had put her head down on the bar, as if the weight of this latest dissapointment were crushing her. "Yeah, tell that to my bill collectors."

Molly's whole demeanor gave off the vibe that said, "You're of no help."

Kim hated that too. She sighed. "I'm sorry Molly, I really am," she whispered.

But Molly was asleep. Partly from fatigue, but mostly from depression.

Knowing the girl wouldn't wake soon, Kimberly activated her communicator.

"Zordon, this is Kimberly."

"I read you Kimberly," his voice rumbled through the empty bar.

Kim sighed aloud. "Zordon," she bit her lip, "The worse things get for Molly, the more I worry that-" she took a breath, glanced back at Molly's sleeping form, "that she'll-"

"Kimberly, I am aware of the gravity of the situation. However, at this point, there is nothing that we can do. Continue to monitor her, and have Rangers to give her assistance. The two of you are very similar, and you know her best. Continue to engage with her and encourage her" Zordon paused, and Kim could swear she heard concern in his voice, but he stopped there.

"Zordon? Do you know what's going to happen to her?"

"Kimberly, it is not yet certain what will become of her. There are many things that can occur. You are to continue your task. That is all."

As Kimberly reluctantly closed the communication link, she couldn't shake the feeling that Zordon had just lied to her. Or,at least, that he wasn't telling her the entire truth.


	16. Chapter 16

The Juice Bar was empty and dark, with only a little light coming in through the windows, but it was just enough to see by.

I haven't seen the place like this before, she thought, and I haven't really been here unless one of the other Rangers is too. She looked around, Oh, I'm dreaming, she realized.

Her eyes met the balance beam at the side of the building. She smiled and hurried toward it. "If this is a dream, I can't get hurt!"

So, for once, unafraid of the height, she climbed up onto the beam, and with a smile confidently began walking across it, making sure to point her toes and hold out the arms, just the way she'd seen Kimberly do, over and over again when she was a child. She didn't dare attempt the backflip though, one of Kim's favorite beam moves. Or, did she?

She looked behind her, then down at the mats. Why not? She laughed. "It's not like I can get hurt anyway. FOr a moment she pictured in her mind the exact moves Kimberly did before during and after her flip. I can do that, she thought. She bent her knees, brought her arms up over her head- and froze in terror.

Was it her imagination?

"I could have sworn I heard"

And then it came again. Unmistakable this time. Anyone who'd seen the show would know it instantly.

It was the laughter of Rita Repulsa.


	17. Chapter 17

April

"Hello, Molly."

In the middle of preparing her apartment for the days' dance lessons, oddly enough Molly wasn't surprised at seeing Trini practicing Tai Chi.

"Hi," she answered, dropping an armload of bean bags for her students on the floor.

Trini smiled at her, though she didn't stop her practice, " I'll be watching you today, during your classes."

Molly nodded silently, and continued to walk through the apartment cleaning before her students showed up. The next time she walked through the studio/living room she commented, "you're the only power ranger besides Billy who's not a teacher at all."

Trini nodded, continuing to work, not seeming the least bit bothered.

Molly had assumed the yellow ranger wasn't going to answer at all and moved to the bedroom when Trini finally spoke, confident yet soft, "It's good to know your own interests, limitations and abilities."

And that was it. Molly shrugged.

The doorbell rang.

Her day as a dance studio and nearly illegal studio owner had begun.

Trini was there the whole time, not speaking, but every time Molly glanced up she saw Trini calm and tranquil practicing and breathing, sometimes besides the barre, sometimes in the dining/living room, sometimes in the middle of the studio. And Molly felt calm. When classes ended for the end, Molly exhaled finally, looked around, and Trini was gone.

She breathed again, then stooped to pick up the days activities. While watching the students she felt punched in the stomach. They deserved better than to be dancing in someone's living room. They deserved a real studio. And if she couldn't provide that, Molly knew their parents would take them to someone who could.

"I have to get out of here. Get a real studio. I can't stay in this apartment." She put the students materials in the closet, and stooped to grab up her own school books. Only another month of classes and 2 papers to go and she would be finished.

"A studio owner with a dance degree and no studio." She shook her head. " I have to get a studio, somehow. I can't stay here. This apartment is too expensive, and with almost no students, there's no reason to have it or justify the price I'm paying." Molly bit her lip. There had to be some solution.

She opened the closet door where she housed her 'office' and turned on her computer. Bringing up the google page she thought, whatever it takes, no matter how much money I have got to get out of here. She opened two tabs. In the first she typed in commercial space for lease, and the second apartments for rent.

"I don't care. No matter how much it costs, I've got to get out of here. I'll never get any more students if I stay here. If I can just rent space, I'll have a real studio. If you build it they will come. And with a studio, I'll have to find a cheaper apartment. So what if my first plan didn't work out. This time it has to." She clicked search, and waited.

There was a scurrying sound, a scratching sound, and Molly turned her head sharply to the sound. There was nothing. Squinting, she rose from the computer, and walked through the studio to the kitchen.

She flipped the kitchen light on, and glanced around the room. When her eyes came to movement, she screamed.

A rat was in the middle of the kitchen floor. Suddenly everything went dark, and there was a sharp crashing sound before she lost consciousness.

"Is she going to remember this? "

Jason grunted and shook his head. "I don't think so. She won't wake up anytime soon."

Zack laughed. "She's already got a lump on her head."

Jason shrugged. "Where's the rat?"

Zack looked around. "I think it's gone." He made a face. "I hope it's gone. Living with rats? Uh uh, man. No way."

"Can't believe Zordon called us here for a rat!"

"He called because she was unconscious."

Jason surveyed the small apartment. "No, there's got to be something more."


	18. Chapter 18

Note to all- I had an awesome arc of chapters going on. It took me forever because I wanted to work certain things in. FINALLY after months I finished it all. Well, the few chapters that needed to be in order to move the story along. And then, my computer ate them. Last night. Seriously pissed am I. So, you get this instead. Nothing near as awesome. It's gonna take a while to remember the rest of it. Oh well.

_Unbeknownst to Molly, she spent the rest of Saturday and most of Sunday sleeping. What she remembered about those two days would be largely forgotten or believed to be a dream. She didn't know that forces of evil and of good had been working feverishly while she lay nearly dead to the world. _

Molly stretched, then winced in pain. She put a hand to her head, moved on the bed to sit up, and abruptly crashed to the floor.

Shocked she looked around, bewildered.

"What am I doing in the living room?" She asked the empty room. Still seated on the floor, she gingerly felt the lump on her head. "Maybe this would explain it."

Confused, if not terribly concerned, she stood up. Only when she was upright did she notice the amount of sun shining though the curtains. She glanced at her electronic calander/clock on the wall. She stood still for a moment, thinking this must mean something before she realized it.

"Shit!" She yelled.

One swift turn brought her half running to the bathroom to brush her teeth and do something with her hair.

In moments she had sweats on, her hair yanked back in a ponytail, and most if not all her school books in hand.

"Better double check in case one of the teachers cancels," she muttered, sitting down at the computer, knowing even as she typed in her email and password, that she wasn't lucky enough for that.

Immediately the screen popped up saying she had two new messages. Molly smiled. "I might be so lucky after all,"

With thoughts of a big breakfast and an episode of Rachel Ray in her brain, she clicked on the icon. The first message read, "Response to apartment inquiry". Good. However, it was the second that had her immediate attention, she barely scanned the title, before she had the email opened, read and was dashing for the phone.

"Hi, this is Molly Castor. I just received your email about space available for a dance studio?"

"You do?" She took a deep breath reminding herself not to sound too excited.

"Would you be available-"

"Today?"

"That would be just fine."

She hung up the phone and threw her school books to the floor. She jumped up and down squealing.

"I might have a studio! I might have a studio!" She sang out.

Then she glanced down at her books and shrugged. "A business opportunity is a bit more important, especially today." She squealed and grabbed her purse and keys.

She glanced back at the bedroom, wondering for a moment if she could change into more professional looking clothes.

"I was the one that agreed to meet in fifteen minutes," she reminded herself. Glancing down at her attire she sighed, "Well, at least I look like a professional dance teacher." And with that she headed out the door.

The building was huge. Not sure where to park, she chose the furthest spot possible in order to give her a chance to collect herself without her potential new landlord seeing her. She looked at her reflection in the rear view mirror and smiled nervously.

"Well, this is it!" She took a shaky breath and realized she'd never get out of the car if she didn't nearly shove herself out of it- now. And so, as quickly as she could she gathered her purse and keys, opened the car door, stepped out, and slammed the door shut behind her. With pursed lips she began walking towards the building.

She stopped halfway there, standing still in the still snow covered walkway.

"Kim," she hissed, "where are you? Don't you know this is important? You should be here. Or Tommy, or someone! This is important!"

She looked around furtively, but seeing no one she sighed audibly and continued to walk alone. "You'd think," she muttered angrily, "that after all the bad stuff they never showed up for- they'd at least show up for this, but noo."

"I don't need them anyway," she told herself. As the building became nearer she amended, "Yes I do!"

She glanced around again for Kim or Trini, hell at this point she'd be happy to see Alpha or even Goldar. Anyone was better than no one.

"There's nothing to be afraid of," she muttered into the cold air. "You can't get rejected, and what's the worst that can happen? They want you after all. They will want your money."

"_Hey, move over!"_

"_I can't see!"_

"_I'm the one that needs to see, remember?" Kim pipped in. _

"_We need a bigger viewing globe."_

"_Actually, there would be no difficultly at all if everyone would just stand back here," Billy pointed out. _

_Zack waved away the observation. _

"_Zordon, why can't we go down there?"_

"_This is something that Molly needs to do by herself, rangers."_

"_But she wants us there! She said so."_

"_No Kimberly, I cannot allow any of you to go down there."_

_The group was silent, not looking at Zordon, simply casting angry glares at one another instead._

"_Ass," Kim muttered._

"They want me, they want me. I'm here so that they can impress me," she repeated to herself as she took each step closer to the front door.

Finally there, she smoothed her jacket and hair, straightened her shoulders and stepped inside.

A man wearing dress pants and a polo shirt met her. "I'm Henry Ward," he announced, "let me show you the space available that I emailed you about."

As she walked confidently beside him, she cast furtive glaced around the building to get a feel for the place. If it had a good atmosphere, if it was a slum, that sort of thing. She decided quickly that she quite liked the place. It was an old building with character.

"Here we are," he announced, opening a door in front of her.

It was a room. A room filled with odds and ends and old furniture. It wasn't a very large room. Still it was a room, with a wooden floor. And that was really all she needed, wasn't it? It would work. She could make it work. It was better than what she had.

She turned to Mr. Ward. "I'll take it," she announced.

Mr. Ward smiled and nodded. "Wonderful. I'll write up a proposal for costs, and email it to you."

She nodded, trying not to look as giddy as she felt inside. "Thank you," she answered.

A few moments later she was running to her car. Once inside she screamed, "I got it! I've got a dance studio!!"


	19. Chapter 19

Note: It will take a while. Just laying the groundwork here.

"Just sign here, and make sure the check is-"

"It is," Molly answered interrupting her, as she signed with one hand and gave over a check in the other.

"The policies are stated as is, and things are as is. No parties, no nonsense. We have a quick turn around here because there is no leniency. If you can't pay rent, just start packing, because you are out."

Damn, that's a nice how do you do.

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Bye."

She closed the door in her face, then locked it then pulled the clasp latch over all. Then she let out a sigh of relief.

The apartment was smaller than she'd hoped for, but it was closer to what she could afford. Not exactly what she could afford, but that was the price she paid to be out of the ghetto. It came with the territory.

She looked around at the boxes, then at her watch. In ten minutes the phone company had promised she'd have a working connection, and for the first time in a week she'd be able to check her email. She filled the time by hooking up her computer, turning it on and waiting. Impatiently. At least the electricity was on. So she could literally hear time ticking by on her manual clock. As soon as she plugged it in. She could of course watch TV. It was in there, somewhere.

She lay down on the floor, clasping her fingers together behind her and resting her head in her clasped hands. She closed her eyes and pictured the room that would be her new studio. It was 4 times the size of her old apartment studio. It was such an awesome building, and so conveniently located she'd have tons of students by fall. After all, if she had hundreds of students and their parents devotedly following her when she'd taught for the after school programs, they'd follow her here.

"It'll be nice to have the bills paid, or at least be able to pay part of them- and to have money for extras like food and gas," she muttered.

"So you thought it'd be this easy, did you?"

With a horrified gasp, Molly shot up to a sitting position.

"What the hell?"

She looked quickly around the apartment. Seeing nothing, and realizing the TV wasn't even unpacked, she let out a breath and shook her head. "Must've fallen asleep." She yawned and began reclining down to the floor. Halfway there she stopped herself and leaned on her hand, glancing embarrassedly at the floor. She let out a self-deprecating laugh, and stood up. "Maybe I'll unpack instead."

She opened a box near her. She smiled when she saw it filled with her old stuffed animals. She slid it into the bedroom, then wheeled her desk chair over to her desk by the computer. She found another box full of clothes and pushed that into the bedroom as well.

"Okay fine," she admitted, "So I'm not so much unpacking as arranging my boxes."

Just then her computer beeped. Molly's face brightened as she remembered her internet connection.

"Have to find out if that guy emailed about the studio," she squealed and rushed over to plop down in her computer chair. She logged on and clicked on her email account. 15 new messages. She ignored everything as she scrolled down looking only for-

"Got it."

She opened the email.

_Here is the proposal we spoke about last week. Assessing costs. I'd be able to give you a significant discount. Most people are charged about $ 75 an hour for use of our space. However, I think for the days you indicated and time slots, I'd be able to give it to you for $300._

Molly let out a sigh of relief, she wouldn't have been able to afford more than maybe $400 a month. She glanced back at the email and continued reading on the next line

_a week. Please let me know if this would work out for you._

Molly's jaw dropped in horror. Her pulse quickened and tears formed in her eyes.

"Oh my God," she whispered. " No! No, no, no!" "I can't!" She cried. "This is impossible! I can't! There's no way!"

Oh my god!" She shook her head, tears now streaming down her face. "That's $1200 a month!" I can't even afford to pay my own apartment rent, or just barely, how can I afford this?"

She bit her lip and glanced at her apartment.

"I can't have a studio here. But how can I tell them that I'll have no studio at all? I don't want to lose them. I want my own studio! I have to have it!"

She re-read the email desperately. Hoping she'd made a mistake or missed something. No. None. It was $300 a week, or nothing.

With a groan of physical and emotional pain she turned the computer off. She stood up and retreated to her sheetless bed. She grabbed a random jacket for cover, pulled it over her head and fell into the escape of sleep.

"_Kim!"_

_Molly heard explosions all around her, and could feel the rocky ground beneath her feet tremble. She also heard Tommy's voice. She looked around and her vision was dark, she looked down then and realized why. She was looking out of a helmet visor. And from what she could see she was wearing the uniform of the Pink Power Ranger._

"_Molly!" Tommy's voice shouted again. _

"_Here!" She waved her hand. "I'm over here!" She had to yell to allow her voice to carry through the helmet and the sounds of chaos. _

_She heard feet, Tommy's feet running towards her. _

"_Good," she could feel his grin even through this helmet. "I thought we'd lost you for a minute there."_

_She shrugged and dusted herself off. "I'm fine." She grinned too, as he handed her power bow back to her. "Let's go." They raced back to the group together._

"_Guys! I got her."_

"_You really got him, Kim." Trini said. _

_Molly shook her head about to correct Trini, when she saw Trini motion to the monster lying near death with one of her arrows through him. _

_It was a rat. A giant rat with huge red eyes._

_Molly gasped and looked away._

"_Molly," Jason began, "What is it?"_

"_Nothing."_

"_One more shot outta do it," Zack answered. "We thought we'd let you have that honor."_

_Molly grinned mirthlessly, although she knew he couldn't see it. "Thanks," she answered knowing he would curely hear the sarcasm in her voice. She let out a shaky breath and raised her bow. _

_She fired it and the rat monster disappeared in an expolsion of light. _

"_All right Kimberly!" Tommy again was praising her. She opened her mouth to speak, to correct him. "My name isn't Kimberly," she was about to say when the sky turned dark. Hideous laughter filled her ears. It was so loud that it made the ground shake._

"_You thought it would be easy for you, didn't you Power Ranger? Ha! You puny pathetic mortal. You studpi human! You will fail. You will always fail, just as you've failed now!"_

_Suddenly the Rat Monster was back, and 10 times larger than before._

_See what you can do about that!" Rita cackled. Or, just give up. Give your power to me! You can't do anything with it. Might as well give it to someone that can use it. It only gives you bad luck anyway."_

_Rita continued to laugh. _

"_Molly!"_

_This time Tommy called out her name correctly again. But before she could realize why, the ground beneath her feet began to break apart, torn by the sound waves created by Rita's laughter. She heard the rangers cry out as well, and saw several of them fall to the ground. Tommy was running towards her, and she wondered why. _

_Then she screamed as she felt the ground beneath her vanish. She grabbed hopelessly at nothing and she continued to fall. "Tommy!" She screamed. _

"_Hold on!" She heard his voice and it sounded far away. Suddenly her groping hands hit a ledge of rock and she clung to it._

_She looked up. In the dim light she could see the surface of the cavern she'd fallen into, and Tommy's ranger form leaning over the edge of the chasm._

"_Kim, grab my hand!"_

"_I'm Molly!" She shouted._

"_Take my hand!" Tommy yelled again. She wasn't sure if he'd heard her, or if she just hadn't heard what he said before, "take my hand". _

_She stretched her other arm up to him. Thankfully she felt her gloved hand touch his. _

"_You'll never be as good as Kimberly. You're a pathetic excuse for a Power Ranger too!" Rita's voice boomed out. _

_Molly screamed as she felt Tommy lose his grip. _

"_Kimberly!" He screamed. _

_Rita snorted with laughter as Molly fell to her death, while everyone else apparently was wishing she were someone else._

Molly woke up gasping, and very, very worried.


	20. Chapter 20

_Note: It has sparse detail. I'm just writing from memory- before I forget it all!_

_Molly Castor_

_Dance History 205_

_May, 5__th__ 2008_

"This sucks!"

Molly stared at the computer screen, which despite her staring at it, nothing else had appeared on the screen. She just didn't no what to say. No, she did. She just didn't want to say anything. The history of dance meant nothing to her now. It was her present and future in dance that was of concern now. It might soon be history, she thought.

With a loud sigh she turned off the monitor and stood up. I may regret this," she announced, and left the apartment.

She walked through the rain to a side entrance of the building. She went inside, hoping no one would notice her. The halls were silent. So she tip toed.

Molly came to the dark door to the studio, and tried to door knob. Locked. She put her nose up to the beveled glass window and strained to see inside. Then she sighed again and put her hand up to the window, much as phone booth jail birds did.

"Goodbye, Studio." She whispered. "Goodbye."

Another heavy sigh and lowered gaze, and she walked slowly, dejectedly out of the building. Just as she neared the exit door, something caught her eye. Something small and dark darted along the side wall. Molly gasped and turned her head, immediately fearing it was a mouse or a rat. There was nothing there. She shook her head. It's probably just a dust ball rolling across the floor, or a shadow. I mean, I was already looking at the floor, so it makes sense I might see something there.

She was thinking about how foolish she was being, and that she really really should start thinking about what she needed to write in her final paper that was due tomorrow when she heard a squeak.

She stifled a scream, but ran for the door. All miserable thought s vanishing in her fear and need to get away from there.

"This is whack! We can't just let her give up like that!"

"That is totally unfair for them to do that to her! They can't charge her that much for the use of that space."

"Actually, they can. She did research before emailing this place, and all the other locations had prices that high or higher. The only difference with this location didn't mention their cost outright on their website."

"Kimberly," Zordon's voice seemed to suddenly boom through the Command Center, "do you have a comment about this situation?"

"Me?" She squeaked. "Uh, no." She shook her head. "Nope. Nothing."

"It's not right."

"But they don't know how hard she's worked for this, how badly she wants this." Trini added.

"You think it'd matter if they did? Nah, people like this don't care about things like that. It's all about the money."

"I think Zack's right."

Zack shook his head. "We can't just let things end this way for her. I have to go."

"Yeah, we better get going too. See you Zordon, Alpha. "

"Goodbye Rangers. "

"Hey guys, you ever get the feeling that Zordon isn't telling us everything? Like, everything that he knows about this?"

"Well, it would make sense." Billy replied.

"Yeah, I mean, our own parents don't tell us everything. Like, Santa Claus, for example. So, why should Zordon?"

"No, I mean, there is something just….not right about all of this. He knows things about this whole thing- things that he is purposely not telling us."

Jason shrugged. "Maybe."

"Let's not go accusing Zordon of things, Kimberly. Maybe he has told us everything that he knows."

Kim was silent for a while, but finally answered, "Yeah, I guess."

"So you're just gonna give up like that? Just throw in the towel after all the hard work you've done? After you've already told your students and their parents that you would have a new studio?"

"I didn't say I was going to give up," she glared at the computer screen, continuing to type as though she scarcely heard Zack.

"You said you'd get tons of students with a real studio, and you will. Remember all those kids from the Rec program? They loved you."

"They loved it because it was cheap."

"They'll follow you."

She shrugged and pressed Enter.

"I told them yes."

"Told who yes?"

"The landlord of the building."

"But you can't afford that!"

"He doesn't know that. It'll buy me time. He said I didn't have to pay up until my summer camps start in July."

"Summer Camps? Awesome!"

"Yeah," she answered as she clicked Print. "I just have to get the space ready and build a studio where a dirty room used to be."

"So how'd it go?"

"How'd what go?"

"Your talk with Molly."

"We figured that's where you went. And it saves me the trip." Kim smiled.

Zack looked at her oddly, remembering Zordon's tone with her earlier. "He didn't say I couldn't."

"Who?" Tommy asked.

"Zordon."

"He didn't say any one of us couldn't go see her whenever we wanted-"

"Just a few times."

"Don't remind me," Tommy muttered, glaring angrily at the ground.

"So how is she doing?" Trini looked concerned.

Zack gave a half smile. "Not too great. She told me she'd accepted the man's proposal, because she wasn't expected to pay until later- and that she was going to build her studio."

"Well that's great!" Kim squealed happily.

"She didn't sound happy about it," he added.

"She's probably considering all that she has to risk to do this, lying for one, and she's probably thinking and worrying about what to do if this fails."

Jason put his hands up, "How could she fail?"

"Really, man," Zack agreed, " she has everything now. There's no way this could fail! She has the studio, that's all that was holding her back before. And she's an awesome teacher! We all know that."

Tommy just glanced at Kimberly.

"Uh guys, I think I left something at the Command Center. I'll be back in a little bit. Billy, why don't you start making a mock up website for Molly's new studio?"

"That's an excellent idea Kimberly!" He smiled. "I'll have something by the time you get back."

"Great!" She smiled. "See you guys!"

She teleported to the Command Center immediately.

"Kimberly!" Alpha exclaimed, rushing towards her. "I thought you and the rangers were leaving."

She smiled at Alpha and knew that whatever Zordon was keeping from them, he was also keeping from Alpha. Poor Alpha was clueless.

"I just came back to talk to Zordon."

"I am here, Kimberly." He answered. "Alpha, please leave us."

"Yes, Zordon," he answered, making his way obediently to the side door. When the door had closed Kimberly began.

"Zordon, I know you're not telling me everything. Molly is really in danger."

"What makes you say that, Kimberly?"

"I think Rita is after her. I was at the building with Molly today."

"Did you speak or show yourself to her?"

"No, I didn't think that would be a good idea. But," she continued, "I saw a rat. Molly saw it too, only she convinced herself she was seeing things."

"Rats are not uncommon on Earth, Kimberly."

"But Zordon, this wasn't a rat. It had red eyes, a big black body, and it vanished into thin air. It's Rita, Zordon, I know it is. And that rat that she saw before in her old apartment? I don't think that was a real rat either. It's Rita, it has to be Rita."

Zordon was silent for a long time.

I'm right, I know I'm right.

"You are correct Kimberly, that was no rat. And yes, Rita wants to use Molly for her own evil purposes."

"But why?"

"I cannot tell you that, Kimberly."

"Why not?"

"Kimberly, return to your friends. We will speak later."

And with that, he teleported her out of the Command Center.


	21. Chapter 21

"Hey, it looks pretty good in here!"

She put down her paintbrush when she saw him.

"What's my name?"

"What?"

"What's my name?" She yelled the question across the empty half painted room.

He cocked his head and stared at her. "Molly," he answered. He turned his head the other way. Did her eyes just change color? He looked again. Nah. He shook his head. Must be the paint fumes.

He stepped inside the room. "I assume it's okay for me to have my shoes on now, right?"

She shrugged.

"Molly, what's going on? Zack said the last time he spoke with you, it sounded like you didn't even want to talk to him."

"I didn't." She picked up her brush and began painting again. "But at least he knew my name."

"Molly, what are you talking about?"

"Just go away. It's what you're good at, isn't it? Leaving? Or, just not being around. But you seem to be around a lot just when you're not needed."

"Molly, I-"

"I know how to paint a wall, Tommy. You can go."

_Zack was laughing. "I thought she was in looove with you, Tommy!"_

_He gave a half smile and shrugged. "Guess she got over it."_

"_So, what happened? Between the time she moved and now?"_

"_Beats me. I mean, besides seeing how much her studio is going to cost her."_

"_Or try how much it IS costing her right now, she may not have to pay rent, but I saw her at the building supply store-"_

"_Spying on her with the viewing globe again, huh?"_

_Zack rolled his eyes. _

"_I saw it as well," Billy added. "The total cost for her purchases to date is $10,000."_

_Kim's jaw dropped. "Are you joking? How did she get the money for that?"_

"_Anyone hear of a credit card?"_

"_Oh wow. This is trouble. This is a problem."_

_Tommy grimaced. "That's the least of her problems right now."_

"_Zordon, why couldn't I go to help her? When she hurt her leg- when that student of her nearly killed her? Why wouldn't you let me go down there?"_

"_I have told you the reason for that, Tommy. You all know that there are times that it is acceptable to allow her to see you, and for you to interact with her, but there are times when your assistance would hinder her."_

_Tommy looked away, his jaw clenched. _

"_He's not telling us everything," he slammed his fist into the punching bag. "I know he's not telling us everything!" He kept punching at the bag until it rattled on it's own chain. He gave it one last punch, accenting it with a loud yell of frustration and anger. Then gasping for breath he leaned against the nearest piece of equipment in the darkened gym._

"_I know," Kim's voice floated softly to his ears from the spot she was sitting calmly on the steps. "You feel guilty about what happened those other times. As much as I hate to admit it, Zordon was right. If we'd fought her battles for her, she never would have had the internal drive to persue her dream. Which is what she's doing right now. Has been doing, in spite of every setback. She keeps trying. She's holding on to this dream."_

"_Probably because what she'd have to go back to is so awful."_

_Kim nodded. "You're right." She sighed heavily, as if exhausted by what lay ahead. "I'm going to go talk to her."_

_Tommy smiled at her, and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Good luck."_

It was fully dark outside when Kimberly arrived at the new studio. Molly was lying on the floor, clearly exhausted, surrounded by closed pans of paint, a hammer and nails, a power drill and saw dust.

"You've been working really hard."

When Molly looked up at her in the dim light, she looked sad.

"I'm not you," she whispered.

"Of course you're not me!" Kim laughed, not because she truly felt like it, but because something had to be done to lighten the mood, it seemed almost oppressive.

Molly sighed. "Everyone wants me to be you. I'm not you. I can't be you. You and all the other Power Rangers."

"Molly, what are you talking about?"

"I will fail," she whispered. "Rita was laughing at me. Tommy let me fall. No one knew who I was, they wanted me to be you. Rita said I had no power."

Kimberly had an eerie feeling, she looked around the room feeling eyes on her. "Just when you're starting to succeed," she whispered.

She looked at Molly lying on the floor, and realized that she couldn't rise. That it wasn't just fatigue that kept her from speaking in full sentences, or coherently. It seemed to take all Molly's strength just to blink instead of letting her eyes close entirely. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

Kim bit her lip and knelt down next to Molly, gathering her into her arms. "It'll be okay, Molly. You're coming with me." To hell with what Zordon thinks.

"_Rangers, it is true that Rita is the force behind Molly's failures, as many of you have suspected."_

_"Zordon, is there anything we can do to help her?"_

_"What you have been doing is sufficient, Tommy. You must continue to keep her working towards her goal."_

_"But, if we fail- if she gets upset enough, if she's met with enough obsticles and failure."_

_"Zack, do not forget that there is a reason she is failing."_

_"Rita's powers can't be that strong." Jason crossed his arms over his chest._

_"No Jason, they are not. They cannot control much in her dimension."_

_Kim stared at him. Lying. He's lying!_

_Tommy was pacing the floor around Molly's prostrate unconscious form. He stopped then and stepped up to Zordon._

"_If she gives up her dream, and goes back to such a miserable existance, then Rita will have won. Remember, in, Molly's world we are only a television show. And Zordon, you said that on that world, in that reality, Rita and others like her do not have the power to send down monsters. _

_But wait a minute- you said that Rita doesn't have that much power, and that in Molly's reality the Power Rangers and Rita are imaginary, we're just a show to them," his voice trailed off as he continued to pace, lost in thought. The others were silent as well, trying to unravel this mystery themselves._

_"We're just a show to them," he repeated. "Wait!" He cried out and stopped in his tracks. "But we do have power there! Even in her reality, we had, we still have power!"_

_"Tommy, what are you talking about?" Trini asked._

_He looked at Zordon, and Alpha, then at the rest of the group, before his eyes rested on Kimberly. _

_"Kim, you said she looked up to you, right?"_

_"Uh, well, yeah" she answered, looking as confused as everyone else._

"_Then we do have power! And if we have power- then so can Rita. If our power is strong enough to transfer over to her reality, so can Rita's evil powers."_

_Zordon said nothing._

_Kimberly picked up Molly's limp hand showing a fresh bite mark. "He said Rita didn't have the power to send down monsters. What he didn't say was that Rita can send down other things. Like a poisonous rat bite from something that isn't so much a rat as it is pure evil."_

_Billy just stared at Kimberly blinking, the rest stared mouths agape, except Tommy. Who stared hard at Zordon. _

"_Rita's been sending down more than rats, hasn't she? She's been giving Molly dreams, thoughts to make her lose confidence in herself. Is that right, Zordon?"_

_Kim could almost hear him sigh before he replied, "That is also correct, Tommy."_

"_But Zordon, I don't understand- why does Rita care so much?" Trini looked up at Zordon with the same level of trust and respect that she had always had. _

_Kim didn't think he'd answer. Fortunately for him, Alpha interrupted them all by running across the room._

"_Rangers, " I have analyzed the dream that Kimberly told us about. " _

_Billy picked up the paper read-out. He glanced over it and shook his head hard. "She was wrong. Kim, you said she told you that Rita said she had no power. This shows that what Rita said- among other things, was "Give your power to me."_

"_Power?" Jason looked over Billy's shoulder at the read-out. "What power?"_

"_Zordon, does Molly have some power that Rita would want?"_

"_She has powers? That is outrageous-awesome!" Zack nodded confidently, grinning . "Too cool!" He gloated. "Too, too cool!"_

_Tommy was more serious. "What power does she possess, Zordon?"_

_Zordon was grave. "Rangers, I cannot tell you that. You have already learned much more today than you should have. The power that Molly possesses, you will have to discover later, when the time is right."_


	22. Chapter 22

Okay all you lurkers- and yeah, I know you're out there. When you finish reading a chapter…review, huh? K? Cool.

"Here, catch!" Kimberly tossed a dust rag across the room.

Molly caught it immediately, grinning widely at Kim's smile.

"This place'll be done in no time," Tommy announced as he put a finishing touch on the far wall, careful to avoid the still open box of pizza in the middle of the room.

Molly continued sanding a wall barre. "It better be. Summer camps start in a week."

"Any kids yet?" Tommy asked this while busily moving the drop cloth to the other side of the wall.

Molly shrugged, not looking up from her task. "I don't know yet. I haven't checked the post office box. Maybe I'll do that tomorrow. I just don't wanna check too soon and be disappointed."

"Yeah," Kimberly agreed, running a broom across the floor, "but you put up fliers and sent out information for summer camps months ago. You should have a huge amount of students registered."

"Yeah," Tommy nodded, " you might wanna check that post office box. You don't want it to be so full that it explodes."

"Ha, ha." She stuck her tongue out at Tommy, but her eyes were shining with happiness.

"Well, I should know," Kim added. "I mean, I was there all those long weekends that you spent at the copy place copying flier after flier after flier."

Molly rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Yeah, you were a big help- sitting on the top of the copy machine, kicking your legs."

"What can I say? I like being up higher than everyone else."

Molly looked at Kim's stature and laughed.

"Hey! Let's take a break!" Kim spun around as she let the broom drop to the floor.

"Another one?" Tommy asked.

"Yes, another one!" She laughed at Tommy's expression and rushed to the stereo. "I brought a CD."

As the song blared out Molly burst out laughing. It was the Power Rangers theme music. "No way!"

Kim smiled, "Yes way!"

Molly laughed till she had to sit on the floor to keep from falling over.

"Watch this," she announced. With a quick arm flourish, Kimberly did a hand spring into a round off into a back tuck, landing with her chin held high and arms stretched to the ceiling.

"Hey, not bad!" Tommy nodded approvingly, then he stepped to the center of the room. "But, try this"

He did a quick series of aerial kicks and spins that Molly recognized as one of his old katas. He landed in his classic stance, held it seriously for a moment, then broke it grinning.

Molly laughed. "Not bad either."

She glanced at both Kim and Tommy, who were looking expectantly at her.

"Oh, fine!" She rolled her eyes to the ceiling in exasperation and moved to the center of the room. Once there she did a triple pirouette into a renverse, landing in a wide lunge, one arm stretched side, one skyward.

"Whoo!" Kim cheered, clapping her hands wildly.

Molly reddened. "Cheerleaders," she muttered, slightly embarrassed but clearly more than secretly glad of the approval.

"Hey, did any of you order room service?"

Zack's voice could be heard above the music. He stood in the doorway holding a folded up set of tumbling mats.

"Oh, no way! No way!" Kim squealed, grabbing Molly by the shoulders. "You did not get tumbling mats!"

Molly just smiled.

Kim squealed wildly as Zack dragged the long mats into the room.

"Oh my gosh! This is so awesome! "

"Hey, Zack, leave us some room, huh?"

Trini's softer voice could be heard and Zack moved aside for Billy and Trini, carrying a small pink balance beam between them.

Overwhelmed, Kimberly jumped up and down and clapped her hands over and over again gleefully. Finally overcome having her own loves staring her in the face, Kim squealed, grasping Molly around the shoulders and squeezing her.

Tommy bit back a laugh. "Wishing you lived here now, or something?"

Kim gave him a playful glare as her only response.

Molly walked over to balance on her balance beam , pivoted on one foot and asked, "Where's Jason?"

Zack smiled back at her with a slice of pizza in one hand. "He was afraid you'd make him dance again."

"That wasn't my fault!" She looked straight at Zack to let him know whose fault that was. Then she gasped, her face reddening as she remembered just why that bet had taken place. She turned away from Tommy just as Trini spoke up, "Why don't you go to the post office and check on your enrollment?"

She shrugged. "I guess I will. Later. When we're done here." She yawned. "Ya know, I'm kinda tired. Can you guys leave, so I can get some sleep?"

Zack chuckled. "You're going to sleep here?"

She nodded. "I'm tired!"

Billy shrugged. "If she locks the doors I see no problem with it. She'd be perfectly safe."

She walked business like to the door, opened it, locked it from the outside and closed the door. Then she threw her keys down.

"You're not going to spend the night, are you?" Trini asked, worried.

Molly shook her head and glanced at her watch. "No. It's just afternoon, so I'll sleep a while, wake up, do some more stuff then go home."

"To sleep some more?"

"You got it. My arms are killing me! And my back."

Kim nodded. "Tell me about it. I don't think I'll be able to move in the morning."

"Well, if you're sure…" Tommy let the sentence trail off.

Molly promptly laid down on the nearest mat as proof.

"Well, we'll see you later then," Zack called. They were already teleporting away as Molly yawned herself to sleep.

Two hours later Molly awoke, and immediately the strong smell of paint hit her.

"Yuck."

She sat up slowly, her muscles already tight.

"I'm hungry," she mumbled, and looked around for the pizza box. Still in the middle of the floor, molly stood up, walked over and opened the box.

It was empty.

"Weird. I coulda sworn I only had 2 pieces- maybe 4. But probably most definitely 2." She yawned again and shrugged her shoulders. Then she sighed, cracked her back and headed for the door.

"Better get to the post office before it closes," she announced to the empty room. "And get me my money," she added as she locked the door behind her.

It was a short drive. Fishing her key from the depths of her purse, she was happy to see that she didn't have an orange notice on her box alerting her to some problem with her account. She grabbed the key, inserted it and turned carefully. She didn't want to embarrass herself by having all her mail drop to the floor.

She pulled the door open with a smile, thoughts of money and students dancing around in her head. But there were only 2 envelopes in the box. Molly's jaw dropped.

Oh my god, what now? What do I do? I spent the last money I had on marketing for the studio! I don't have anything left to live on!

As she felt her cheeks reddening, she quickly grabbed the sparse envelopes and dashed out of the building before strangers could see her cry.


	23. Chapter 23

I may go back and change this later. Typed it from memory, and very quickly at that. Wanted to get it up before my computer eats it, or the net freezes up on my again.

"Here." She handed the packet to Kimberly. "Make sure you stay across the street from me, so I know where you're going."

Kim just nodded. Knowing that Molly was lying. But knowing why she was lying, and what the truth was, enabled her to keep quiet about it. Molly had had enough hardship in her life without having to deal with this.

She had to give the girl credit, after how her enrollment for summer camps turned out to be less than enough students for a single camp, must people would have just shut down shop. Maybe that's what she should be doing, she thought. What if we're all wrong in trying to keep her pursuing this?

"Oh, Tommy, where are you?" She hissed. "What if we're doing the wrong thing?"

She turned her head back to find Molly. She was just finishing putting a blue doorhanger on a house across the street. She looked back at Kim. Kim grinned wide and waved.

The excitement was much harder after the hour was up, and sore and bruised from walking, Kim and Molly finally met up at the intersection of a street that had houses only on Kimberly's side of the street. Molly ran across, childlike, waving a handful of blue fliers.

"I think I must have gone through about 200 of 'em!" She gasped.

Kim reached into her own bag, drawing out two more banded stacks. "How many did I start with?"

"Four," she answered matter-of-factly. "Same as me. That means you went through 200 too."

Kim sighed inwardly. 200 more to go? Ugh.

"So, we have 200 more that we need to do, and then we can quit. " Molly smiled. The first time I did this, it took me an hour and I only got through maybe 50 or 100."

Kim remembered that. Molly was lying again. The first time she had set out she'd only put a flier on one door, before hyper ventilating and going back to her car.

"It was so dark, I nearly killed myself, tripping up and down steps that I couldn't see, walking into people's fences."

She was talking about her second trip, which wasn't without it's own share of hyperventilation. But she'd forced herself, having no choice. When Tommy found out that she was going out at 2AM, alone, to put fliers on people's doors, he insisted on going with her- or downright stopping her. But Zordon would have none of it.

Molly smiled. "This is so much better!"

Kim's heart sank, feeling so sorry for the girl again. Realizing how much she needed her, but knowing that Molly would simply snatch up Kim's share and continue on doggedly if Kim decided she wanted to leave.

No. No wait, she wouldn't. The way that Molly was looking at her, was pleadingly. She didn't want to be left alone again. Molly was simply putting on a good front, for Kim's sake, knowing Kimberly would be more tired by the work than she. It was full daylight, afternoon. Molly had chosen this time herself, as a way to wean herself into doing it on her own. If she could do this now, when people were at home, seeing her, she could do this at anytime.

But she wasn't ready to go it alone. Not yet.

"Here," she grabbed some of Kim's door hangers and began to run ahead. "We'll meet in the middle!" Kim smiled. It was progress, at least.

_It had been bad. Worse than bad. Poor Molly was shaking like a leaf, gasping for breath with tears flowing. When she got home, she flung the apartment door open, slammed it closed, and ran sobbing to her bed. _

_Kim had never seen someone have a reaction that way. It was worse than nerves before a gymnastics meet. She didn't know why Molly reacted that way. She heard Tommy's voice from her communicator. "It's a panic attack, Kim. She's having a panic attack." Kim didn't respond having no idea what that meant. "It's the worst fear imaginable. She feels like she's dying, literally going to die."_

_And Kim was running to her. Grabbing her by the shoulders, making her sit up in bed, hugging her. She could feel Molly's shaking all over. _

"_It's okay, it's going to be okay." She held Molly out to her then, so she could see her face._

"_I, I can't do it!" She gasped. "I, d-don't know what's wrong with me!" She was shaking so hard that her teeth were chattering, as though she were outside in the freezing cold._

"_I don't wanna do it again! I can't go out and do that! I just can't!" _

"_You don't have to." Kimberly felt the bed shift, and turned when she heard Tommy's voice. "You don't have to do that again."_

_Molly simply sank back down to the bed, exhausted._

_Kim felt her pulse, her heart was beating as if she'd just run a marathon._

_Tommy met her gaze and nodded. "She's in fear of her life, fight or flight response."_

"_And she flew."_

"_With good reason."_

_But why?_

"_Molly, why did you get afraid? Why didn't you want to do this to begin with?"_

"_I don't know, I just-" she gasped, "don't know."_

"_Think about it, Molly. This is important. What were you worried would happen?"_

"_I wasn't supposed to be doing it. I'd get in trouble. I'm on other people's property bothering them, giving them something they don't want."_

"_What else?"_

"_I could get in trouble! I'm doing something bad. They didn't ask for this, and I didn't ask permission."_

"_What were you afraid would happen after you put that first flier up on that door?" So, he had been watching._

"_They'd come out of the house!"_

"_And what?"_

"_And get me! They'd be mad that I did that!"_

"_How would they get you?"_

"_They'd come after me, they'd attack me!"_

"_Why?"_

"_Because I'm doing a bad thing!"_

_She looked at Tommy confused. "It goes back to her past. Remember when she said to us she'd wished we'd have come to save her?"_

_Kim nodded. _

"_That's what this is about. It's post traumatic stress that's been semi-buried and now it's coming back to her. "_

_Kim still looked confused._

"_I don't know if you've noticed, but everytime someone would call her on the phone, or ring her doorbell unexpectedly, she'd start shaking, just like she is now, and her heart rate would sky rocket. She'd be terrified._

"_Why?"_

"Hey!"

Kim spun around when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Tommy!" Molly squealed.

Kim squinted at him skeptically. "And just what are you doing here?"

"Well, I'm not here at all, if anyone asks."

Molly laughed. "So where are you?"

"I'm at home, sleeping."

Kim burst out laughing. "That's a really, really bad alibei."

He just shrugged. "So, you two want some help?"

"Sure." Kim smiled and happily handed him one of her stacks of fliers.

"We'll go down this next street," Kim told him, "and you take the next one over."

"Right." He nodded, then he was jogging away down the road.

Tommy was at his 10th house when he saw Zack. Tommy chuckled and handed him half of his pile.

"If anyone asks, I'm not here."

Tommy held his hands up.

After about an hour all four of them met up at a side street. Kim smiled when she saw Zack.

"If anyone asks, I'm in the park teaching hip-hopkido."

"Gotcha," she smiled.

"Where are you?" He asked.

"At the mall, of course!"

Molly laughed.

"So where's Billy?" Tommy asked him.

"He's working on your," he spun around then stopped and pointed at Molly, "website."

"Cool."

"Where's Trini?"

"Helping him with the creative side of things."

"Perfect!" Kim nodded.

"Hey," Molly looked at Tommy and pointed to a street a few blocks down, "did you get that side of the street?"

"No."

"Well, here, I'll take these and do that side of the street. "Well, what about that side of that street?"

"We can do it later," Zach announced, clearly tired out.

"No!" Molly shook her head wildly. "We have to do it now! There is no later! No one will do it later!"

Hastily, and irritated she grabbed a large handful of Tommy's fliers. "I'll do it. I'll go over to the next block, then go up and meet you three up there-" She pointed to the top of the ridge.

And with that she was quickly heading away. By herself.

"You planned that, didn't you?" Kim asked.

Tommy just smiled.

And again as she watched Molly going away, although she was happy for her and proud, she couldn't help but remember the rest of that first day.

_"Why are you afraid they'd attack you? Complete strangers? Have you been attacked before? By strangers?"_

"_No."_

"_By people you know?"_

_She nodded._

"_I want you to think more about this- why you're afraid. And don't worry you don't have to go out and do this again."_

_He stood up. _

_Molly was still shaking 4 hours later._

"_Kim, let me ask you- do you remember what her reaction used to be when she lived at home and someone knocked on her door?_

"_No one ever knocked," she answered quickly. _

_Tommy nodded. "They slammed her door open."_

"_Do you know what happened then? Why she has this response of terror?"_

_Zordon never let me see," she whispered._

_Tommy's face took on the most bitter, hateful look that she'd ever seen as he muttered, "Consider yourself lucky."_

_Just then Zordon's voice came over their communicators. "Rangers, you should return now."_

_Kim glanced at Tommy again, his face even more contorted by rage than earlier. "No," she answered softly. "No, Zordon, we're staying."_


	24. Chapter 24

"So, how many students did you get for your summer camps?"

Molly looked up from the paper she'd been staring at, seeming startled.

"Five."

"In one camp?"

She pursed her lips and shook her head, "Total."

Kim cringed. "Oh," she whispered.

She walked closer to the table that Molly was seated at, blocking the entrance to the studio. "What's all this?"

"Open House stuff."

Molly looked as If she were trying to seem unupset.

"Oh, that's right!" Kim exclaimed. "That was today! I'm sorry, really, I just forgot all about it! My cousin had a big cheerleading meet today, and I just lost track of time!"

It was partially true. Kelly did have a meet that day, but it had finished hours ago. What she had spent the rest of the time doing? Well, she wasn't about to tell Molly, not until she could prove-

"Wanna see how many people showed up?"

"This is what we were all working on with those fliers isn't it? All those hours of walking?"

"No, you mean all those hours of walking that I did," she corrected. "You only helped out that one day."

"And before and after that you did it yourself," Kim smiled proudly. Even during the daytime, if I recall correctly.

She nodded.

Even in the midst of panic attacks, but Kim kept that knowledge to herself. It would only embarrass Molly, when really she should be exceedingly proud of herself for fighting such a violently strong fear.

"So, lemme see," she grabbed for the enrollment sheet. "You got out..how many fliers?"

"Three thousand." Her expression had turned cold.

"That's amazing!" Then why did she look so upset?

Then Kimberly grabbed the sign up sheet. There were tally marks on the top of the page, seven, and two.

"What are these for?"

"One tally is for how many people showed up today. "

Kim felt as though she were sinking, against her better judgement she asked, "And the other one?"

"That's how many people enrolled today."

She felt choked. She opened her mouth to ask another question, but no sound came out.

"Three," Molly answered as though she read Kim's mind. "I now have a total of 3 students for fall classes. "

"But you still have time, right?" Kim tried to look optimistic. "When do fall classes start?"

"Next week." Molly's voice was barely more than a grumble of anger.

Kim's face reddened, and her brown eyes filled with tears. Before she could stop herself she was sobbing aloud.

I'm supposed to be the strong one here! She told herself, but it didn't work. Against her own wishes, she crumped to the floor under the weight of this sadness, hands covering her face.

She head a chair scrape the floor, and the table legs scrape as she knew Molly was shoving both aside to get to her. In an instant Molly was on her knees next to the Ranger her hands on the woman's shoulders.

"It's okay," she soothed.

"No it isn't!" She howled. "This is horrible, and unfair! And it doesn't make any sense!"

"We worked so hard! You worked so hard! Your hard work can't just mean nothing like this!"

"It's okay," Molly answered, resigned to her fate, " I can suck, it's fine."

"But you don't 'suck'! You're a wonderful teacher and you've built a wonderful studio! People should be coming in droves and begging you to let their child in your classes!"

After a moment she managed to compose herself. Kim bit her lip thinking of consequences, but then shrugged and looked at Molly. "You didn't see anything strange today, did you?"

"Like what?"

"Like, just…anything strange."

She shrugged. "Besides getting only a handful of responses for 3000 invites? No, I guess not." Molly's mouth was a thin line and she sat back on her heels glaring angrily at the wall.

Kim sighed aloud at the same moment Molly did.

"I think Rita's after me."

Kim shot to her feet. She knew for a fact that Molly remembered nothing of her visit to the Command Center. Zordon, Billy and Alpha had seen to that.

"What?"

"You heard me. I only have three students for Fall, Kim. It's either that, or I really suck beyond belief."

Suddenly her communicator beeped. Kim's face crumpled in regret. "I have to go," was all she was able to answer before being teleported away.


	25. Chapter 25

Author's Note:

I thought I'd used this bit before, but I looked and couldn't find it. So, I'm putting it in here.

Chapter 25

"It doesn't make any sense. I was told all my life that if you just worked hard and believed in yourself that you could do anything. That you would achieve your goals." Kim kept twisting her straw back and forth in her fingers, too upset to eat or drink.

The group was gathered at the Juice Bar, nearly empty of patrons that evening.

"That's a God-damned lie," Zack answered. "I wish people wouldn't tell their kids that. That's only true for things that you can control. Molly can't control how many people want to come to her studio, and how many people are idiots."

Trini blinked, her mouth open in shock. "I never heard you talk that way, Zack," she answered.

He shrugged apologetically. "Well, it's the truth," he muttered.

"In her world, people know evil. But Molly believes that it is her own bad luck causing her failure and pushing her back towards teaching."

"Why is teaching so bad for her?" Trini asked calmly. "She's really very good at it."  
"Because it makes her miserable!" Kim answered exasperated, at the same time Zack replied,

"Really good at dodging punches, you mean."  
"And, if she's miserable...." Tommy's voice trailed off.  
"Rita will have won," Billy finished.  
"No," Tommy shook his head. "No, that's not it. Just her being sad doesn't allow Rita or evil to win...." His forehead wrinkled in concern. He shook his head again, as if to clear it and began pacing. "If teaching is bad for her, because of the stress it puts on her body-"  
"She can't have her body damaged in any way, Tommy. She couldn't dance then, she couldn't teach dance," Kim interuppted.  
Tommy held up his hand to stop her. "Teaching is bad for her because of the stress it puts on her body-"  
"And getting attacked, don't forget that part. She'd be putting herself in physical danger real danger with most of those kids," Zack added.  
Tommy nodded curtly, his mouth a grim line. "Rita...why does she care? If she wanted Molly, she could just take her. I know Molly has some sort of power, or powers, Zordon confirmed that, but why wouldn't Rita just take her?"  
"No," Billy was adament. "No, she couldn't. If Rita can't send monsters down to her reality, that means she can't do much from this reality either."  
Trini spoke up then with a sudden realization. "THey'd have to give themselves to her, willingly."  
Tommy's eyes widened. He spun on his heel and stared at Kimberly.  
"You think she's suicidal, don't you?"  
Kim's mouth dropped open in surprise. She hadn't seen that coming. But, closed her eyes and looked away, not wanting to voice that it was a possibility.

"I have to go," he spit out the words and was out of sight before anyone could comment further.

*********************************************************************************

Tommy started running, though he didn't need to, but he did need the physical release. If he didn't release his anger this way, there was no telling what he'd do to Zordon, he had to leave the Command Center before he sliced the being's huge aquarium with one hand.

"The viewing globe's dark."

"What?"

"I can't tune in to Molly."

"That's impossible!"

"But Zordon controls what can be seen through the viewing globe," Trini answered.

"That's not the worst of it. I can't teleport over to Molly anymore."

"What?" Immediately Kimberly tapped her own teleportation device with the code set for Molly's reality.

Nothing.

The other rangers tried the same. And again, nothing.

Billy looked grave. "Then it is Zordon who is blocking us out from her reality."

"But we have to know what's going on with her!" Jason insisted.

"She could kill herself!" Kim responded at the same time.

"Would you really blame her? I mean, with as much failure as she's been slapped with lately? And it doesn't seem like it's going to change anytime soon either." Zack was frank and realistic, in spite of his fondness for Molly.

Tommy shook his head. "She wouldn't do that. She's a fighter. I mean, look how long she's fought for this, all the sacrificed just for this."

Zack cocked his head to the side. "I dunno, Tommy. Look where all that hard work has gotten her."

"Failure," Jason repeated.

"Look, guys, I need you to do something for me. Odds are most of this is my fault, and really I think it's more about Zordon is trying to keep me from contacting Molly, than any of you-"

"But this was your assignment in the first place. You were the one chosen to-"

Zack laughed loudly. "Oh come on, Trini, she nearly begged for this assignment. We'd all been watching her for years, and Kim wanted to head up the task once Zordon finally okayed contact."

Tommy made a scoffing sound. "Yeah, it only took- what, a decade or so?" Then he glared in disgust.

"Look, I kinda went over there after Zordon said I needed to limit my contact with her, I think I crossed the line."

"You know," Trini began softly, "Zordon never did tell us exactly why we were watching her.

"What do you want us to do," she asked.

**********************************************************************

Kim was certainly correct about Alpha, Billy told himself as he stood next to him at the Command Center. Alpha gives no indication of any knowledge about Molly past what Zordon had told the group. Billy glanced up from the consol to the now dark chamber that housed Zordon's form. I've never known Zordon to lie. He sighed. A lie of omission is still a lie.

"Billy, what is the matter?"

"Alpha?"

"I said, what is the matter? You seem puzzled."

"Uh, I, I am, Alpha. I can't seem to locate Molly on the viewing globe."

"Oh, I can help you with that, Billy."

"Don't you need Zordon's assistance?" He glanced again at the dark chamber.

"Oh no. We don't need access to the viewing globe, besides Zordon is resting now. We do not want to disturb him."

"Oh, no, no of course not, Alpha."

"Here, look here at this grid, Billy." He pointed. "This shows Molly's world."

"Or, her version of it," Billy muttered.

"Yes, Billy."

"What's that?" He pointed to a bright circle that surrounded the image of Earth on the grid.

"Oh, that just shows that we can't contact Molly anymore."

"Why not?"

"Zordon feels that it is best."

Billy nodded, and looked closely at the grid. "Can you zoom in on the area?"

"Yes, Billy, but remember it is difficult to view anything without the viewing globe. This device will only enable you to view outlines of general areas. You cannot focus it much after that."

"I see." He casually manipulated the controls. "This shows her world today?"

"Yes."

"Can I view other time frames?"

"Oh, certainly Billy, they are all stored in memory." The robot bobbed his head excitedly. "I worked on that for Zordon."

Billy smiled at him as he scrolled through past hours and days. "I see that you keep capital records, Alpha."

"Thank you!"

"Well, I have to be going. I promised Trini and Jason that I would assist them with a science project that they are working on."

"I see. Tell the Rangers I said hello."

"I'll do that. Thank you, Alpha, you've been most helpful."

Alpha bobbed happily, before activating the teleportation grid. Within seconds Billy was gone.

* * * * * *********************************************************

"Okay, I think I've figured it out." Billy called this out to his friends, now seated on a picnic bench in the park.

"Zordon has some sort of dampening force field around her dimension. No one can go in or out of it."

"Woah, that's pretty major." Zack's eyes widened.

"Is it around the whole Earth?" Jason asked.

"Affirmative."

"Shit!" Kim snapped her fingers.

"No doubt, Kimberly, that Zordon fully anticipated that you would transport to any spot on the planet in order to gain access to Molly."

"Wait a minute," Jason stood up from his seat, "if no one can go in or out of her reality- what if Rita had sent something- anything down to Molly's world just before Zordon activated the force field?"

"Then that evil would be stuck down there with her." Trini made a face.

"Causing all sorts of new problems ." Kim muttered this angrily, seeing no need to hide her feelings about Zordon from her friends.

"Guys," Trini spoke up again, standing up to stretch her legs, " we don't even know if that's true. I'm sure Zordon wouldn't allow evil to stay there with a defenseless young woman. Zordon is not careless."

Kim snorted. "Oh really?" She muttered. Tommy, the only one to hear the comment, elbowed her lightly.

"Actually, I did find some evidence that may coincide with that." Billy was still standing, and saw no need to sit now. He couldn't sit still when he was worried. And this situation with Zodon worried him.

"The dampening field simply shows up on the records as a bright circle around the earth. And for most of the time frames, that's all there was to see."

"But?"

"But in some, there seemed to be some sort of energy discharge. It showed up as a line extending from the earth upward, and stopping when it hit the energy barrier."

"Someone sending out a message?" Trini offered. "Like those light signals we heard about on sailing ships?"

"It's possible."

"What if it wasn't a message?" Zack asked. " What it that line was someone, something trying to get out?"

"Yeah," Tommy nodded in response, "maybe something that knew it was trapped?"

"I'm afraid I can't support any conjecture. There is simply not enough information to come to a solid conclusion."

"Thanks anyway, Billy. You did a good job."

"Thank you, Kimberly." He blushed slightly, and looked back down at his notes.

"Maybe Zordon will turn the thing off after a while," Zack offered.

Jason shrugged. "Yeah, but what if it's too late once he does? Anything could be happening to her right now, and we'd never know it."

"There has to be some weakness," Kim whispered. "Billy?" She called. He looked at her, eyebrows raised. "Can you monitor this forecfield thingy? Maybe there's a time when it isn't as strong?"

"Or you could figure out what those lines mean."

Billy nodded eagerly. "It will take some work, but I think I can do it."

"I hope so," Trini answered, "or we may never know what becomes of poor Molly."


	26. Chapter 26

…_Just pop in a video and they should be fine._

_Thanks-_

_Mr. Stone_

Right. There were bars on the classroom doors, she'd gone through not one, but two metal detectors and a pat-down, and she'd been told not to go to the bathroom alone- or not to go at all. Yeah, this sure seems like a school where things will be 'just fine'.

She shrugged, ignoring the students loud talking, and popped a dvd into the machine. She pressed play, then went back to the teacher's desk and sat down. The voices of the students were so loud that the video couldn't be heard. Frankly, she didn't care what the kids did, as long as they didn't kill each other, and left her alone.

Molly rose to turn up the volume on the tv. She turned it up to max, then sat back down to continue her search for an attendance roster. The students talking had dulled down, finally. Locating the paper, she rose again, and following instructions, she went around to each student, telling, not asking them, to show their ID cards to verify their identity. She was halfway down one row, when she realized that the students were now talking over the maxed out volume of the tv.

She swore silently. These kids are too loud. She wasn't about to yell over them, and they weren't about to listen to her, that was clear.

"Show me your ID card," she muttered to the group in front of her. They complied, continuing to shout to their friends across the room. After making her rounds around the room, she sat back down at the desk, folded her arms across her chest, already immune to the students unbelievably loud screams and laughter, and stared at the clock.

"Hey, hey Teach!" A young man whispered. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.

"You ain't wanna be here, do you?"

Molly snorted with laughter. That was an understatement. To be a substitute teacher in an inner city school was the last thing she'd wanted to do.

Originally, she'd thought that it wouldn't be that bad. With regular teaching, you had no escape. When you were a substitute, you didn't have to write lesson plans, and if your students were hellions, you never had to see them again.

It wasn't as though being a teacher had been her first choice. After Open House, when she realized just how much trouble she was really in, she began applying to jobs online. All jobs, any jobs. She stayed up till 4 am filling out online applications. She even got some calls. But the response was always the same: She'd been a teacher for the past several years, she wasn't qualified for the position they were hiring for. She hadn't been qualified to be a day care teacher, a dental receptionist, a filing clerk, a hotel housekeeper, a hotel desk manager, a general receptionist, an office assistant, or a telemarketer.

She's tried everything and looked everywhere. The answer was always the same.

It wasn't until she got her eviction notice that she finally filled out applications for school teaching positions. Still, no go. Then she applied for substitute teaching. Finally, after months of searching, she had a job. She'd started the next day. But oh, how she hated it.

She looked again at the student and answered, "Nothing personal kid, but I've got things I'd rather do than be here."

He grinned widely at her. "I know what you mean."

She stopped herself before she smiled back, then simply nodded instead.

"Hey," he hissed, "You scared to be here?"

She looked at him like he was crazy. She shook her head. It was true. And if it ever wasn't, she'd be damned if she ever showed fear.

"You should be," he told her. Not in malice, but simple truth.

Molly sat back again and took a sip of her water, glancing at the attendance roster. There were supposed to be 40 students between the ages of 16 and 20 in this high school classroom. She easily counted 60. And the numbers were rising.

The fact that there was a substitute that day spread like wildfire. Students who didn't want to go to their own classes came into her class. And what could Molly do about it? The school building was the size of two city blocks, and four stories high. For safety corridors were blocked off and had only one or two classes in what they called a 'block'. This was to prevent too many students from attacking a teacher at once. To prevent riots. Molly knew this without asking. She wasn't stupid.

The classroom telephone didn't work, nor did the intercom, and the nearest classroom was downstairs from her. What could Molly do? Nothing. So she settled back, resigned to that, determined to be nothing and not provoke these children.

When the classroom filled with 80 students, Molly thought surely someone is noticing the great mass of students heading up this way, during the school day. The great mass of security must be monitoring the situation. She hoped so, as from the shouting and conversations she'd been hearing, something was about to go down.

"Hey Teacher! What you gonna teach us today, huh?"

"Fuck this shit! This is bull shit! I don't even wanna be here."

"This hoe of a teacher, this skinny bitch gonna tell me what to do?"

"Fuck that! We ain't lettin' that happen!"

Molly felt her breathing quicken. The nice boy next to her had vanished from the room about a half hour ago. Maybe I should follow him, she thought grimly.

"I'm tired of this! Ain't you all tired of people tryin' to teach you?"

A chorus of agreement made Molly's ears ring. There were now 80 students in the room, mostly male by this point.

Suddenly she felt her breath catch in her throat. Uh oh.

"Hey, Amruddin!" Someone called out, just as a metal chair flew across the room. "Catch this shit!"

A whole mass moved from the area and the chair clanged to the floor. It was a heavy chair. The sound reverberated in the room.

The group roared with laughter.

"You tryin' to fuck with me, huh?" The man, Amruddin, Molly assumed, approached the other man, fists raised.

He lurched forward, the crowd keeping them apart. Laughter reigned again.

"Hey, let's see how well she dodges!"

Molly heard the words before she could fully process them. She was still in disbelief when she saw one of the heavy metal chairs hurtling directly towards her head.

She gasped and tried to scramble from where her legs were beneath the desk. She succeeded in falling just to the side of the chair as the flying chair slammed into the wall behind her, falling on her shoulder as it came down.

Molly bit back a cry of pain.

"Hey, she's like a cat!" Someone laughed. She heard more laughter then, both male and female.

What am I going to do? Well, what could she do? She rose to her feet, she knew if she showed fear it would only make things worse. Plus, they were blocking the door. She couldn't escape if she tried. So she stood there, looking defiantly at them.

"I got a better idea," another boy sneared.

Before Molly could wonder what that might be, she felt a strong arm grab her around the chest and waist, holding her in front of his body. This boy, was the size of a quarterback. This isn't happening, she told herself, this is not happening. What kind of sick person would actually do this to a teacher?

"Hey Amruddin!" The voice behind her hooted, "Come get her!"

She saw Amruddin's smile cross his face, just before she saw his fist raise.

No way, no way!

She looked desperately around the room. The students were cheering and watching as though it were a tv show.

This is a joke, there's no way he's going to-

The blow sent her sideways, out of the 'boys' arms. As she fell to the floor she heard a loud chorus of "Yeah!"

Then she saw the scramble of feet as more of them headed towards her.

Oh my god. As she saw fists and boots she also saw her life flash before her eyes.

"TOMMY!" She screamed. She screamed with all the strength and energy in her body. Screaming loudly enough, she hoped for Tommy to hear, even in his far away reality. And she wished to God she knew why'd they abandoned her again, when they'd told her themselves that they hated not being able to help her in the other classrooms.

Then, suddenly, he was there. Tommy was standing in the middle of the room, in his martial arts gee. He looked around the room clearly confused as to where he was and why.

"Tommy, help!" She screamed.

She saw his head turn to her like lightning, then saw his eyes widen in fear and rage.

He sounded a loud kiyie, and Molly was grateful that that got the attention of the boys beating her. They stopped.

"This is worse than putties!" He called out.

He seemed to debate whether or not to morph to fight these supposed children, but thought better of it. With a flying leap, he landed on a boys' back, toppling him. His goal was only to get to Molly.

Tommy beat the daylights out of the group surrounding Molly, and she was glad.

When he was finally at her side, she clung to him, and cried in relief and fear. "Tommy, get me out of here!" She begged.

"No problem," he grunted, and pressed his communicator.

As they were teleporting away, she heard him say, "At least I know what your power is now."

*********************************************************************************

The rest of the story to be continued in a story titled, "Kimberly Hart's Dance Studio."


End file.
